Scientific realism

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Scientific realism
/ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk ˈriːəlɪzəm/ (n.)

The position that scientific theories provide true or approximately true descriptions of both observable and unobservable aspects of the world, that unobservable entities postulated by these theories (e.g., atoms, electrons, genes) exist independently of the scientific research programme, and that these programmes — not usually described in such scurrilously relativist terms) typically build on the knowledge contained in previous theories, rather than replacing them outright.

See also

• Relativism
• Truth
• Transgressing hermeneutical boundaries