The Empirical Stance

The Empirical Stance (2002) collects van Fraassen's essays in which he clarifies what it means to adopt an empiricist attitude toward inquiry and knowledge.

Building on his earlier constructive empiricism, van Fraassen distinguishes the empirical stance from various forms of metaphysical realism and explores consequences for scientific practice, skepticism, and philosophical debates about faith and reason.

The volume brings together argumentative essays that aim to show how empiricism can be an intellectually serious and practically fruitful stance without committing to strong ontological claims.