Imre Lakatos: Scientific research programs

Abstract

The objective of this essay is to explain the nature and importance of Lakatos' effort regarding scientific research programs, through a bibliographic review on his critique and reformulation of Popper's falsificationism, who had postulated two fundamental conditions for a theory to be considered as scientific: the first, should be falsifiable, and the second, condition should be not falsified, therefore the contrast of a scientific theory would result in two scientific meanings; one could be corroborated, and the other had to undergo its own falsification. Lakatos proposes a reformulation of this falsificationism, where it contrasts with the empirical reality of the research work carried out by scientists, radically revising the demarcation criteria offered by Karl Popper on what constitutes science. It is concluded that the author's proposal is an epistemological perspective that allows him to provide a reconstruction of the history of science and constitute an alternative theory of scientific rationality.