Study Questions for Chalmers, Chapter 9

  1. How is Lakatos similar to Popper and Kuhn?
  2. How does Lakatos compensate for where Popper and Kuhn fall short in their assertions?
  3. What is “the hard core”? What are some examples that the author gives?
  4. What is the “negative heuristic”?
  5. What is the “positive heuristic”?
  6. What is the main indication of the merit of a research program?
  7. How do Marxism and Freudian psychology live up to the second indication of merit?
  8. How does the author define a progressive research program?
  9. What is a program’s or tradition’s “protective belt”? What is its significance? What is the author trying to say? How does it affect methodology within a particular program?
  10. What are the essential contributions that Lakatos made, according to the author?
  11. How does Lakatos criticize positivist and falsificationist methodologies? Is he credible? Does he provide a better theory than Popper or Kuhn? If so, how?
  12. What does the author see as the main problems with Lakatos’ assertions?
  13. Is Lakatos progressive?
  14. How do Lakatos’ contributions relate to our study of American political theory?

Things to look for/keep in mind for future readings:

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