Abstract: This introductory chapter presents an overview of the chapters included in this book. The chapters in Part I make important contributions to the developing understanding of what van Fraassen achieved in The Scientific Image. The chapters in Part II focus on new literature discussing The Empirical Stance. The issues discussed in the two parts are not completely independent of one another, and interconnections are shown between the ideas about empiricism in science and about empiricism in general.

Keywords: Bas van Fraassen, empiricism in science, The Scientific Image, The Empirical Stance, empiricism in general,