-
Birthplace of Bas C. van Fraassen
Born in German-occupied Goes, Netherlands, Bas C. van Fraassen emigrated to Canada in 1956 after the end of WWII. During the war his father was a steam fitter who was forced by Nazis to work in a factory in Hamburg. -
Period: to
The Life and Philosophical Contributions of Bas C. van Fraassen
-
Educational Pursuits and Professional Years
Under the tutelage of Adolf Grunbaum, a German-American philosopher of science, known for his critique of psychoanalysis, Bas C. van Fraassen earned his PhD in Philosophy of science. Since then he has taught at Yale, Princeton, University of Southern California and the University of Toronto. Currently a member of the International Academy of Philosophy of Science, he contributes as the editor of 'Journal of Philosophical Logic' since 2005. -
The Scientific Image
Published in 1980, his book, 'The Scientific Image', coined the phrase "Constructive Empiricism" and explained the reasoning the behind scientific theories. In the following YouTube Video, Bas C. van Fraassen goes into detail of the understanding of his analytical focus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brAOVfAoimQ -
Lakatos Award
The Lakatos Award is given annually for an outstanding contribution to the philosophy of science, in the form of a book published within the current year or 5 years previous. In 1986 Bas C. van Fraassen won the award during its inaugural year for the publication of 'Scientific Image' and its contribution in rehabilitating scientific anti-realism. -
Foundation of the Kira Institure
As one of the five founding fathers, Bas C. van Fraassen aided during the summer program where graduate students could participate in answering the main question poised by the institute, "Starting from a scientific worldview, what else is true?". In 2007 the institute created several virtual worlds for members of the scientific community to contribute in online forums allowing for participation of its members from around the world.
