The positive heuristic of the programme saves the scientist from becoming confused by the ocean of anomalies.

It would be wrong to assume that one must stay with a research programme until it has exhausted all its heuristic power, that one must not introduce a rival programme before everybody agrees that the point of degeneration has probably been reached.

Mathematics does not grow through a monotonous increase of the number of indubitably established theorems but through the incessant improvement of guesses by speculation and criticism, by the logic of proofs and refutations.

Philosophy of science without history of science is empty; history of science without philosophy of science is blind.

The classical example of a successful research programme is Newton's gravitational theory: possibly the most successful research programme ever.

Intellectual honesty consists in stating the precise conditions under which one will give up one's belief.

The great scientific achievements are research programmes which can be evaluated in terms of progressive and degenerative problemshifts; and scientific revolutions consist of one research programme superceding (overtaking in progress) another. This methodology offers a new rational reconstruction of science.