Philosophical Papers, Volume 1: The Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes by Imre Lakatos
Research by Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida
Reading this book gave me the impression of re-reading Karl Popper's Logic of Scientific Discovery, or a sequel to it. Lakatos is a student of Popper and the latter's influence on him can be surmised on this book. The title can be misleading as this book is about the philosophy of science, and it synthesizes highlights of history on the development of the physical sciences, how theories are built, replaced or modified, and the surrounding nuances on the scientific establishment. Whereas it discussed the significant differences on the Kuhn-Popper discourse, Lakatos provides an alternative model by proposing the nature/presence of Scientific Research Programs - which are actually metaphysical in nature and that which guides practitioners on how they carry out their tasks on their respective fields, hence, the fate of theories. For me, his proposal of Research Programs are part sociopsychological, cultural and part epistemological that enables science practitioners develop theories that build and guide them on their respective specializations. This book is a part of a two-volume series, the second however deals with philosophy of mathematics.
