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Early Communist Ties
This year, Lakatos began his varies studies at the University of Debrecen. During this time, he became influenced by Marxism and joined the communist party where he had the role of teaching Marxism to new recruits. He progressed to a position of power in the party, until his arrest in 1950, and then remained a prisoner for over three years. After his release, Lakatos drew away from politics and into the world of science and mathematics. -
Proofs and Refutations
Lakatos' first famous paper, "Proofs and Refutations", is written in a kind of dialogue form between fictional students and their teacher. The paper focuses on his views about the progress of mathematics in which his purpose is to denounce the formalism of mathematics and explain how "failed proofs" can lead to stronger determinations. -
Criticism and the Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes
In this article, Lakatos criticizes several scientific philosophers and discusses his idea of research programs. This Lakatosian theory is a framework for which research can be conducted. To design a new theory, Imre recommends a belief system, using the negative and positive aspects of a "heuristic". The negative heuristic, or "hard-core" are claims in a research program that are not revisable while the opposite is said for the positive heuristic because these claims can be reshaped. -
The History of Science and Its Rational Reconstructions
In his theory of rationality, Lakatos accounts for how to study the "internal" and "external" history of science. Internal history is about the reasons scientists will either accept or reject scientific theories. External history is about the non-rational factors that influence their processes. Imre believes that scientific philosophy can learn from the history of science and vice versa. -
Works Cited
Gillies, D. (2011). Lakatos, Popper, and Feyerabend: Some Personal reminiscences. Retrieved March 31, 2021, from https://www.ucl.ac.uk/sts/sites/sts/files/gillies_2011_lakatos_popper_feyerabend.pdf
Folse, H. (n.d.). Lakatos. Retrieved March 31, 2021, from http://people.loyno.edu/~folse/Lakatos.html
Lakatos, I., & Broad, C. D. (1969). Criticism and the methodology of scientific research programmes. London: S.n. doi:https://personal.lse.ac.uk/ROBERT49/teaching/ph201/Week05_xtra_Lakatos.pdf -
Works Cited (cont)
Lakatos, I. (1970). History of Science and Its Rational Reconstructions. PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association, 1970, 91-136. Retrieved March 31, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/495757
Allen, Leslie 2016. Imre Lakatos and a Theory of Rationality, from, http://www.rationalrealm.com/downloads/philosophy/ImreLakatosTheoryRationality.pdf -
