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Birth
Lakatos was born to a Jewish family in Hungary with the birth name Imre Lipschitz -
Infinite Regress and Foundations of Mathematics
This work of Lakatos goes into the details of infinite regress. Infinite regress is the issue that arises when dealing with 'perfectly well-known terms.' The issue is that, when finding why a term is well known, we find it is supported by other well-known terms; this is a problem because the cycle is repeated when you try to find the reasoning behind the support being a well-known term.
Lakatos, I. “Infinite Regress and Foundations of Mathematics”, Aristotelian Society Supplementary Volume. 1978 -
Proofs and Refutations
In this work of his, Lakatos argues that Mathematics proofs and discoveries are not final and should not be considered as irrefutable truths. His argument for this stems from his belief that the mathematics is a dynamic process through conversation. Lakatos, I. “Proofs and Refutations”, in the British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 1976. -
Changes in the Problem of Inductive Logic
Lakatos, in his work 'Changes in the Problem of Inductive Logic,' looks into the issues with empiricism. The main issue is it's requirement for scientific theories, which only need observational statements; This minimal requirement creates weak theories that need support. However, Lakatos didn't consider this degenerating, since it can lead to solving a supporting problem that is more interesting that the original problem.
Lakatos, I. “Changes in the Problem of Inductive Logic”, Lakatos 1968 -
Falsification and the Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes
Lakatos believed that wisdom and intellectual integrity requires a person to avoid any statements containing unproven ideas. This belief minimizes the grey area between speculation and established knowledge. The understanding that proven knowledge is unachievable is not usually not disagreed on, but it is not commonly understood that this renders the classical method as obsolete.
Lakatos, I. “Falsification and the Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes”, Lakatos 1970 -
Death
Lakatos died at the age of 51 in London England.
