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Bas van Fraassen is Born
- Bas van Fraassen was born in the city of Goes in the Netherlands.
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Fraassen Earns his Ph.D.
- Fraassen received his bachelor's degree in 1963 from the University of Alberta. He received his master's in 1964 and his Ph.D. in 1966, under the direction of Adolf Grünbaum from the University of Pittsburgh.
- His Ph.D. thesis was titled, Foundations of the Causal Theory of Time.
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An Introduction to the Philosophy of Time and Space
- Frassen's book, An Introduction to the Philosophy of Time and Space, gets published in 1970.
- In this introductory text, Frassen speaks on the nature of spatial and temporal entities. He discusses the implications of relativity theory for our understanding of space and time, as well as the relationship between time and causality.
- Fraassen, B. C. (1970). An introduction to the philosophy of time and space. Random House.
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Derivation and Counterexample: An Introduction to Philosophical Logic
- Fraassen and Karel Lambert write Derivation and Counterexample: An Introduction to Philosophical Logic in 1972.
- This book serves to introduce students to the philosophical activities of discovering metaphysics and logical techniques.
- Lambert, K., van, F. B. C., & Lambert, K. (1972). Derivation and counterexample, an introduction to philosophical logic. Calif., Dickenson Pub.
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Formal Semantics and Logic
- Fraassen writes Formal Semantics and Logic in 1972.
- In this work, Fraassen states, "The general aim of this book is to provide a broad framework in which both classical and nonclassical logics may be studied and appraised." (Fraassen, 1972, p. 9). He expands upon Alfred Tarski's semantical approach and discusses logical techniques such as propositional calculus.
- van, F. B. C. (1972). Formal semantics and logic. Macmillan.
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The Scientific Image
- Fraassen's book The Scientific Image gets published in 1980.
- This book offers an alternative to scientific realism and defends constructivist empiricism. He claims that one does not need to believe in the existence of unobservable entities to have a reasonable view of science.
- VanFrassen, B. C. (1980). Scientific image. Oxford University Press, UK.
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Fraassen Receives Lakatos award
- In 1986, Bas van Fraassen received the Lakatos Award for his outstanding contributions to the philosophy of science.
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Quantum Mechanics: An Empiricist View
- Quantum Mechanics: An Empiricist View was first published in 1991.
- Frassen looks at quantum theory from a philosophical perspective and asks if empirical phenomena require a non-classical theory. He discusses the mathematical foundations of quantum theory and the modeling of quantum interactions. He ponders the question of interpretation and then offers his own, 'the modal interpretation'.
- Fraassen, B. van. (1991). Quantum Mechanics: An empiricist view. Clarendon Press.
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The Empirical Stance: Family and Material Culture, 1500-1800
- Frassen's book "The Empirical Stance" is published in 2002.
- Fraassen undertakes a fresh consideration of the empiricist tradition of philosophy, beginning with criticisms of analytic ontology; he says that as philosophers, we can have stances, but not beliefs. He states that empiricism and materialism both are stances, where empiricism deals with the content, and materialism with the procedures, of science.
- van Fraassen, B. C. (2002). The empirical stance. Yale Univ. Press.
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Laws and Symmetry
- Fraassen's book Laws and Symmetry, first edition, is published in 2003.
- Fraassen argues a metaphysical account of laws cannot succeed. He reviews and rejects the arguments that laws of nature exist and suggests that we should forget the idea of law as a good clue to the nature of science.
- van, F. B. C. (2003). Laws and symmetry. Clarendon Press.
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Scientific Representation: Paradoxes of Perspective
- Fraassen's book, Scientific Representation: Paradoxes of Perspective, is released in 2010.
- In this work, Fraassen offers an exploration of how we represent the world. He presents a picture of measurement outcomes as representations and finishes with an investigation of the complicated partnership between appearance and reality in the scientific world picture.
- Fraassen, B. van. (2010). Scientific representation: Paradoxes of perspective. Clarendon.
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Fraassen Receives Hempel Award
- In 2012, Fraassen received the Hempel Award from the Philosophy of Science Association for his lifelong contributions to the philosophy of science.
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What are the Scope and Limits of Science?
- Fraassen appears in an interview with Closer to Truth on YouTube.
- He explains his constructive empiricist views; he calls himself an "Anti-Realist" and rejects what he calls "Truth Period".
- Bas van Fraassen - What are the Scope and Limits of Science?
- YouTube. (2016). Bas van Fraassen - What are the Scope and Limits of Science? YouTube. Retrieved May 4, 2023
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Present Day
- As of May 2023, Bas van Fraassen is alive and kicking at 82.