Constructive empiricism
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In [[philosophy]], '''constructive empiricism''' is a form of [[empiricism]]. [[Bas C. van Fraassen]] is nearly solely responsible for the initial development of constructive empiricism; its historically most important presentation appears in ''The Scientific Image'' (1980). Constructive empiricism states that [[scientific theory|scientific theories]] are [[semantics|semantically]] literal, that they aim to be empirically adequate, and that their acceptance involves as belief only that it is empirically adequate. A theory is empirically adequate if and only if everything that it says about observable entities is "true" (or well-established). A theory is semantically literal if and only if the language of the theory cannot be reinterpreted in non-theoretical terms without some change in meaning.
Constructive empiricism is thus a [[norm (philosophy)|normative]], semantic and [[epistemology|epistemological]] thesis. That [[science]] aims to be empirically adequate expresses the normative component. That scientific theories are semantically literal expresses the semantic component. That acceptance involves as belief only that a theory is empirically adequate expresses the epistemological component.
Constructive empiricism opposes [[scientific realism]], [[logical positivism]] (or [[logical empiricism]]) and [[instrumentalism]]. Constructive empiricism and scientific realism agree that theories are semantically literal, which logical positivism and instrumentalism deny. Constructive empiricism, logical positivism and instrumentalism agree that theories do not aim for [[truth]] about unobservables, which scientific realism denies.
==See also==
* [[Constructivist epistemology]]
==References==
*van Fraassen, Bas. (1980) ''The Scientific Image''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-824427-4
*Godfrey-Smith, Peter ''Theory and Reality'' p. 184-186, 234. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-30063-3
==External links==
*[http://journal.ilovephilosophy.com/Article/In-Defence-of-van-Fraassen/140 In Defense of van Fraasen]
[[de:Konstruktiver Empirismus]]
[[Category:Philosophy of science]]