"Indeed, this epistemological theory of the relation between theory and experiment differs sharply from the epistemological theory of naive falsificationism"

Imre Lakatos' quote is referring to the difference between two epistemological theories, which are theories of understanding. The very first theory is that of naive falsificationism, which states that a clinical theory can be proven false by a single experiment. The 2nd theory is that of the relation between theory and experiment, which specifies that a scientific theory can be evaluated and modified through experimentation, however not necessarily shown false. This theory suggests that clinical theories are not always either real or false, but rather that they can be customized and improved through experimentation.

Lakatos' quote suggests that these two theories are very various, which the relation between theory and experiment is a more nuanced and intricate one than the ignorant falsificationism theory. This theory recommends that scientific theories are not always either real or incorrect, however rather that they can be modified and enhanced through experimentation. This remains in contrast to the ignorant falsificationism theory, which recommends that a single experiment can show a scientific theory false.