Proofs and Refutations

Proofs and Refutations is essential reading for all those interested in the methodology, the philosophy and the history of mathematics. Much of the book takes the form of a discussion between a teacher and his students. They propose various solutions to some mathematical problems and investigate the strengths and weaknesses of these solutions. Their discussion (which mirrors ce...

Proofs and Refutations is essential reading for all those interested in the methodology, the philosophy and the history of mathematics. Much of the book takes the form of a discussion between a teacher and his students. They propose various solutions to some mathematical problems and investigate the strengths and weaknesses of these solutions. Their discussion (which mirrors certain real developments in the history of mathematics) raises some philosophical problems and some problems about the nature of mathematical discovery or creativity. Imre Lakatos is concerned throughout to combat the classical picture of mathematical development as a steady accumulation of established truths. He shows that mathematics grows instead through a richer, more dramatic process of the successive improvement of creative hypotheses by attempts to 'prove' them and by criticism of these attempts: the logic of proofs and refutations.

拉卡托斯（Imre Lakatos，1922—1974）

英籍匈牙利人，出身于匈牙利的一个犹太人家庭，是20世纪著名的数学哲学家、科学哲学家，也是现代科学哲学历史学派的主要代表之一。二战期间是积极的共产党人，1950年至1953年以修正主义者之名被监禁。1956年苏联出兵匈牙利后，流亡到英国，继续求学，获剑桥大学哲学博士学位，后入英国籍。从20世纪60年代初起到去世为止，一直在伦敦经济学院任教，与波普（Karl Popper）和沃特金斯（John Watkins）共事，波普任科学方法、逻辑学和哲学系主任，并任《科学哲学》杂志主编。

主要著作有《科学研究纲领方法论》《数学、科学与认识论》《证明与反驳》。