Philosophical papers Volume 1

Lakatos' wit and brilliance shines though in even the most dense and technical sections of this collection of essays written by him on the Philosophy of Science. His main thesis being that specific theories or notions of paradigms do not adequately explain the actual functioning and history of science, and that science can be better understood as a competition between research programmes in various states of degeneration or progression, with scientific progress being tied to an increase in the novel content of scientific theories and what Lakatos refers to as a “progressive problemshift,” or the shifting of a scientific issue towards a higher understanding, without assuming this process will eventually terminate with absolute, unerring Truth.

He is primarily in conversation with Popper and Freyerabend throughout the text, though he cites numerous other philosophers and scientists. It can be said that he deftly moves beyond Popper's falsificationist framework, though it is less certain he adequately answers Freyerabend's critique. It seems to me that Lakatos is generally correct in his reasoning, and his historical and theoretical considerations on Science are of a quality unmatched by anyone else I've read. He has a depth of understanding that should not be ignored, and I highly recommend reading this if you have an interest in the History and/or Philosophy of Science.