The Propositional Content of the Popper-Lakatos Rift

Abstract

Imre Lakatos telephoned me on the morning of February 2, 1974. He was in a fury. He had received page proofs of his contribution to the Schilpp volume on the philosophy of Karl Popper. He had been promised that his notes would appear as foot-notes; he now found that they were collected together as end-notes. He urged me to join him in getting the volume held up while this was put right. The volume was already several years behind schedule and I declined. It was our last conversation. He died later that day, going down, one might say, with guns blazing. The volume appeared a few months later (with an editorial apology about the placing of his foot-notes).¹

John Watkins died on July 26th, 1999.