Abstract

Imre Lakatos (9 November 1922–2 February 1974) is the most important philosopher of mathematics and one of the most influential philosophers of science since the mid‐twentieth century. A Hungarian, Lakatos changed his name from Lipschitz to Molnar during the Nazi era and then to Lakatos (“locksmith”). After the war he remained politically active, as secretary in the Hungarian Ministry of Education. Later he was imprisoned as a dissident, and escaped to the West during the revolt of 1956. He studied at Budapest, Moscow, and Cambridge (Ph.D., 1958). During the 15 years preceding his death, he taught at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he became Professor of Logic in 1969. He was a lively teacher, discussant, and social critic. An inspired circle of friends and colleagues gathered around him within the Popperian stronghold at the London School of Economics.