The Quasi-Empirical Epistemology of Mathematics

This paper clarifies and discusses Imre Lakatos’ claim that mathematics is quasi-empirical in one of his less-discussed papers A Renaissance of Empiricism in the Recent Philosophy of Mathematics. I argue that (1) Lakatos’ motivation for classifying mathematics as a quasi-empirical theory is epistemological; (2) what can be called the quasi-empirical epistemology of mathematics is not correct; (3) analysing where the quasi-empirical epistemology of mathematics goes wrong will bring to light reasons to endorse a pluralist view of mathematics.

Progressive and Degenerative Journals: On the Growth and Appraisal of Knowledge in Scholarly Publishing

Despite continued attention, finding adequate criteria for distinguishing “good” from “bad”scholarly journals remains an elusive goal. In this essay, I propose a solution informed by thework of Imre Lakatos and his methodology of scientific research programmes (MSRP). I beginby reviewing several notable attempts at appraising journal quality – focusing primarily on theimpact factor and development of journal blacklists and whitelists. In doing so, I note theirlimitations and link their overarching goals to those found within the philosophy of science. Iargue that Lakatos’s MSRP and specifically his classifications of “progressive” and“degenerative” research programmes can be analogized and repurposed for the evaluation ofscholarly journals. I argue that this alternative framework resolves some of the limitationsdiscussed above and offers a more considered evaluation of journal quality – one that helpsaccount for the historical evolution of journal-level publication practices and attendantcontributions to the growth (or stunting) of scholarly knowledge. By doing so, the seemingproblem of journal demarcation is diminished. In the process I utilize two novel tools (themistake index and scite index) to further operationalize aspects of the MSRP.

The role of synchrony in the study of national literary language histories on the territory of Slavia Orthodoxa

The article examines the role of the synchronous approach as a basic prerequisite for refined falsifiability in the study of the histories of the national literary languages on the territory of the Slavia Orthodoxa cultural-linguistic community. Its possible role in the study of literary-linguistic history as a component of the historical approach to language in the context of the theory and methodology of Imre Lakatos’ research programs is also analyzed.

METODOLOGI PROGRAM RISET IMRE LAKATOS

This research was based on the limitations of the human mind itself in providing and obtaining reasonable explanations, because at that time the desire to know something was obstructed from various myths which existedin that society so that myths were embedded in human mind. The focus of this research was on the methodology of the Imre Lakatos research program. The purpose of this study was to determine the process of research program methodology from Imre Lakatos. The method used in this research was library research, where the researchers looked for and read sources that match the title to be studied, such as books, articles, writings and journals that were relevant.The results of this study in the Imre Lakatos research program methodology included: First, the core (hardcore) functions as a negative heuristic. Second, the protective-belt which consisted of auxiliary hypotheses in the initial conditions. Third, a series of theories (a series theory), theory linkages where the next theory was the result of the auxiliary clauses added from the previous theory.

A epistemologia de Imre Lakatos e sua (in)aplicabilidade à teoria econômica

Este trabalho objetiva apresentar a metodologia dos programas de pesquisa de Lakatos (MPPC) e aplicações dele a algumas teorias econômicas. Investiga-se como essas utilizações consideraram a possibilidade de adequação destas distintas teorias na estruturação lakatosiana. Em seguida são analisadas algumas críticas existentes a esse procedimento, que consideram impraticável a MPPC para a ciência econômica. Dessa divergência conclui-se que a dificuldade inerente da aplicação de Lakatos à teoria econômica deriva do caráter subjetivo desta última enquanto ciência social, que permite a coexistência de diversas visões teóricas para o mesmo fenômeno econômico.

Paradigms and Research Programmes

This chapter studies paradigms and research programmes. A paradigm consists of a set of understandings of a scientific community during a historical period. At the most fundamental level, paradigms employ ontological assumptions. This means that the scientific community agrees on which things and phenomena exist and are meaningful for scientific inquiry. These assumptions determine the type of scientific investigations that are deemed worth pursuing. In addition, scientists inside a paradigm share a common methodological understanding of how to do science. Against the background of these broad and general understandings, scientists inside a paradigm formulate theories and carry out empirical research. Imre Lakatos developed the concept of ‘research programmes’ as an alternative to ‘paradigms’.

Methodology of Scientific Reseacrh Programmes Imre Lakatos: Implikasi Terhadap Studi dan Pendidikan Islam

The development of the scientific world and human thought patterns are increasing, starting from something abstract to something real and can be proven. Along with these developments, positivistic epistemology has mastered the science and the study of the philosophy of science in almost all regions. Thus giving birth to new paradigms and discoveries. Even so, there are still several problems. With this remaining problem, it gave birth to thinkers in the twentieth century who wanted new studies in the philosophy of science, such as Karl R. Poper (1902-1994) with three main themes, namely, the issue of induction, problems and standards and problems of the third world, and Thoma S. Kuhn (1922-1996) came up with a revolutionary idea of science which was marked by the process of shifting the old paradigm to the new one. But in between, Imre Lakatos comes with the Methodology of Scientific Research Programs which contains several important elements, first, the Core Program (hard-core), which is the basis of the Lakatos methodology which is the initial assumption of research or scientific research that cannot be replaced or modified. Second, the protective circle (protective belt), this function is to withstand various attacks, testing and obtaining adjustments, even changes, and understanding, to defend the hardcore. Third, a series of theories, namely the relationship between the theory and the next theory, which is the result of the auxiliary clauses added from the previous theory. These three elements have their respective duties and roles in developing science. So in general it can be said that the benefits of a research program are determined by the extent to which scientists can develop findings or even become useless.Keywords: Research Program Methodology, Islamic Studies, Islamic Education

A favor e contra o método: a tensão entre racionalismo e anarquismo epistemológico na controvérsia entre Big Bang e Estado Estacionário

Dado o crescimento de visões ingênuas e críticas à ciência e sua autoridade, é natural que se questione as propostas educacionais que possam fomentar ainda mais um relativismo. Tendo em vista esse risco, com base em estudos sobre história da cosmologia na primeira metade do século XX, argumenta-se a pertinência de se incluir controvérsias sobre a natureza da ciência na educação científica. Para isso, são apresentadas e discutidas duas visões antagônicas de filósofos da ciência sobre a mudança das teorias científicas: o racionalismo crítico de Imre Lakatos e o anarquismo epistemológico de Paul Feyerabend. Elas foram empregadas para criar duas sínteses de obras sobre a história da cosmologia: primeiro uma reconstrução racional da história e em seguida uma história com maior espaço para a pluralidade de teorias, incluindo a presença de fatores usualmente considerados não racionais na ciência. Como conclusão, se propõe que este tipo de controvérsia tem potencial para evitar que continuem aumentando visões ingênuas sobre a ciência, tanto baseadas em uma confiança excessiva na autoridade de especialistas, quanto de uma radicalização da desconfiança de qualquer autoridade.