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The Birth
Bas van Fraassen was born on April 4, 1941, in Goes, Netherlands. This place was occupied by Germany which forced his father into steam fitting for work. Nazi fluences cause his family to be separated and in 1956 Bas immigrated to Canada. [6] -
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Education
Bas van Fraassen was awarded with his first-degree B.A. in philosophy from the University of Alberta in 1963. He went on to do graduate work in philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh, where he received his M.A. in 1964 and his Ph.D. in 1966, writing a dissertation on the causal theory of time under the direction of Adolph Grünbaum. [7] -
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Teaching
"After graduating from Pittsburgh, Bas was offered a position in the philosophy department at Princeton, but turned it down in favor of an offer from Yale, where he taught from 1966 to 1969. He also taught at the University of Toronto (1973–81), and the University of Southern California (1976–81) before finally joining the faculty at Princeton, first as a visiting professor in 1981, and then in 1982 as a professor. In 1998 Bas was named the McCosh Professor of Philosophy." [7] -
Major Contribution
Although Bas van Fraassen has written many books, one stands out the most. His book "The Scientific Image (Oxford, 1980)"; "in this book, Bas argues for a bold position in the philosophy of science that he calls “constructive empiricism.”" [3] -
Current Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHDIc0fRTpY Now, Bas van Fraassen continues with his life. He is still doing the work that he has always done. Recently, he does interviews on topics in his field. An interview called "Critical Realism in Science and Theology" was done. It highlighted his views on critical realism verse other scientist's views. Retrodiction is also discussed and a question (like what makes things act the way they must?) is asked. The interview was great to watch. [8]