Lakatos' Research Programmes

Imre Lakatos' concept of Research Programmes views scientific progress as ongoing debates between competing ideas. A research programme includes a core set of ideas (the "hard core") that guide research, surrounded by auxiliary hypotheses that can be modified. When new evidence emerges, scientists adjust these auxiliary parts rather than abandoning the entire programme. A progressive programme predicts new phenomena and advances knowledge, while a degenerative one fails to do so. This approach emphasizes the importance of ideas developing over time, rather than isolated theories, fostering a dynamic process of scientific growth.