IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcp/journl/v7y2023i9p117-129.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Imre Lakatos’s Scientific Research Programme: A Critical Evaluation

Author

Listed:
  • Larry Ebikekeme Wada

    (Department of General Studies, School of Foundation Studies, Bayelsa State College of Health Technology.)

  • Ejike Emmanuel Aroh

    (Department of Philosophy, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.)

  • Paul Chikamadu Wagozie

    (Department of Philosophy, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.)

Abstract

This paper is an evaluation of Imre Lakatos’s scientific research programme. The paper critically queries the submission of Lakatos in the history of science, against standard logic and the reality of scientific practice. Lakatos’s work is a constructive survey of the history of science. Hence this study assumes deconstructivist historiography as its theoretical framework for the analysis. To achieve its aim and specific objectives, the study adopts content analysis as its research method. It was discovered in the course of the study that Lakatos assumes without reference to scientific practice the irrefutability of the hardcore. Lakatos believes that his method proffers a much better explanation than Popperian’s falsificationism and the Kuhnian paradigmatic shift in the history of science. The paper argues that while Lakatos’s views could be seen to be original and compelling, nevertheless, it stands fallible and fraught with too many inconsistencies. This paper concludes with an attempt at a critical evaluation of Lakatos’s thoughts on the scientific method and its progress.

Suggested Citation

  • Larry Ebikekeme Wada & Ejike Emmanuel Aroh & Paul Chikamadu Wagozie, 2023. "Imre Lakatos’s Scientific Research Programme: A Critical Evaluation," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(9), pages 117-129, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:7:y:2023:i:9:p:117-129
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/Digital-Library/volume-7-issue-9/117-129.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/imre-lakatoss-scientific-research-programme-a-critical-evaluation/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mark Blaug, 1975. "Kuhn Versus Lakatos, or Paradigms Versus Research Programmes in the History of Economics," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 7(4), pages 399-433, Winter.
    2. Brahmachari, Deborshi, 2016. "Neoclassical Economics as a Method of Scientific Research Program : A review of existing literature," MPRA Paper 75341, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fine, Ben, 2002. "Economics Imperialism and the New Development Economics as Kuhnian Paradigm Shift?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(12), pages 2057-2070, December.
    2. George Şerban-Oprescu, 2012. "Economic approaches to sustainability and quality of life. an epistemological study," Romanian Economic Journal, Department of International Business and Economics from the Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest, vol. 15(46bis), pages 79-96, December.
    3. Thomas Kenworthy & W. Edward McMullan, 2013. "Finding Practical Knowledge in Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(5), pages 983-997, September.
    4. Tamás Dusek, 2008. "Methodological Monism in Economics," The Journal of Philosophical Economics, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, The Journal of Philosophical Economics, vol. 1(2), pages 26-50, March.
    5. Arne HEISE, 2020. "Comparing economic theories or: pluralism in economics and the need for a comparative approach to scientific research programmes," The Journal of Philosophical Economics, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, The Journal of Philosophical Economics, vol. 13(2), pages 162-184, November.
    6. Pedro Garcia Duarte, 2012. "Not Going Away? Microfoundations in the Making of a New Consensus in Macroeconomics," Chapters, in: Microfoundations Reconsidered, chapter 6, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Morgen Witzel & Malcolm Warner, 2015. "Taylorism Revisited: Culture, Management Theory and Paradigm-Shift," Working Papers 2015/01, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    8. Nevin Cavusoglu & Edinaldo Tebaldi, 2006. "Evaluating growth theories and their empirical support: An assessment of the convergence hypothesis," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 49-75.
    9. Christopher Whyte, 2018. "Crossing the Digital Divide: Monism, Dualism and the Reason Collective Action is Critical for Cyber Theory Production," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 6(2), pages 73-82.
    10. Roger McCain, 1993. "The hierarchy of need and moral economics," Forum for Social Economics, Springer;The Association for Social Economics, vol. 22(2), pages 1-21, March.
    11. Stavros A. Drakopoulos & Anastassios D. Karayiannis, 2005. "A Review of Kuhnian and Lakatosian «Explanations» in Economics," History of Economic Ideas, Fabrizio Serra Editore, Pisa - Roma, vol. 13(2), pages 51-73.
    12. Pedro Garcia Duarte & Gilberto Tadeu Lima, 2012. "Microfoundations Reconsidered," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14869.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:7:y:2023:i:9:p:117-129. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dr. Pawan Verma (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.