Imre Lakatos

Hungarian philosopher of science who developed the methodology of scientific research programmes — a more sophisticated account of scientific rationality than Popper's falsificationism — and Proofs and Refutations, a revolutionary philosophy of mathematics.

Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes: science proceeds through research programmes with a protective belt of auxiliary hypotheses insulating a core from falsification; programmes are progressive (making novel predictions) or degenerative (only accommodating anomalies). Proofs and Refutations: mathematical knowledge grows by a quasi-empirical process of conjecture, proof, counterexample, and concept-stretching.