Occam's razor - The simplest explanation is most likely to be correct
Summary
- William of Ockham (1285-1347) was a philosopher and theologian. His general rule was 'a plurality is not to be posited without necessity'
Details
- This means that all else being equal, the simplest explanation is most likely the correct explanation.
- Occam’s Razor: “Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity.”
References
Quotes
William of Ockham. 1285-1347 - English philosopher and theologian. He is considered to be one of the major figures of medieval thought, and contributed to many branches of philosophy, like logic and ethics, as well as theology.
Named after the medieval logician William of Ockham, Occam’s Razor is a general rule by which we select among competing explanations. Ockham wrote that “a plurality is not to be posited without necessity”— essentially that we should prefer the simplest explanation with the fewest moving parts. They are easier to falsify, easier to understand, and generally more likely to be correct. Occam’s Razor is not an iron law but a tendency and a mind-frame you can choose to use: