Lakatos' modification of Popper's falsificationism
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Date
2005Item status
Restricted AccessAuthor
Liu, Mo
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Abstract
This thesis aims to understand Popper’s falsificationism and Lakatos’ methodology
of scientific research programmes right and to grasp why and how Lakatos modifies
Popper’s falsificationism to be the methodology of scientific research programmes.
Firstly, it sets forth a background in which Lakatos makes the modification. The
background is a basis on which we study why Lakatos modifies Popper’s
falsificationism. In order to understand Lakatos’ motivation for making the
modification better, the section will be described according to Lakatos’ view. It briefly
reviews some methodologies of science before Popper, and then explains the two
phases of Popper’s methodological falsificationism--naïve methodological
falsificationism and sophisticated methodological falsificationism--and makes a
comparison between them. Secondly, this thesis states Lakatos’ comments about
Popper’s methodological falsificationism, and then explains why and how Lakatos
makes the modification and what his modification is. Moreover, it also makes a
comparison between Popper’s falsificationism and the modification. Thirdly, having
made comments about the influences of their theories, this thesis shows some
criticisms raised by contemporary philosophers of science and discusses some of their
potential problems. Finally, it makes a brief summary about the whole discussion and
draws a conclusion that Lakatos modifies Popper’s falsificationism effectively and
improves it more sophisticated.