Methodology of research programs by Imre Lakatos half a century later

The paper considers the features of the methodology of Lakatos' research programs and analyzes its application. It is concluded that the concept of I. Lakatos, which tried to describe the development of science within the framework of the philosophy of post-positivism, was ahead of its time by almost half a century. It remained unclaimed for quite a long time and found its application only in the methodology of physics. However, the state of affairs has considerably changed over the past ten years, so this concept has found its way into various branches of knowledge, both in the natural sciences and in the humanities, like biology, cosmology, psychology, pedagogy, sociology, and economics. A need arose to develop softer criteria of scientific character in comparison with the paradigmatic concept of T. Kuhn, which until recently was dominant in the philosophy of science. The author analyzes this situation and substantiates that the relevance of the concept of Lakatos' research programs is associated with the transition of science at the end of the twentieth century to the post-nonclassical stage of development, which currently requires a revision of many methodological approaches in scientific research.