ABSTRACT
In philosophy, there is a long-standing dispute between realism and anti-realism. Realism holds that things exist independently of our minds and cognition, while anti-realism denies this. The debate around scientific realism focuses on the question of whether theoretical terms or unobservable objects really exist. Grover Maxwell was a professor at the University of Minnesota who, in an important paper entitled “The Ontological Status of Theoretical Entities,” challenged the traditional observational–theoretical dichotomy. Maxwell also gave an example of observing cells through microscopes. People used to think that cells, viruses, and other microorganisms could be observed, but with the invention of the microscope, these microorganisms have become observable. Van Fraassen also suggests that the aim of science is to provide “imaginative pictures” to help us summarize the regularities of observed phenomena. In response, van Fraassen provides a Darwinian account of the success of modern science.
