![]() ![]() The term ‘Ockham’s razor’ first occurred long after Ockham’s time, in 1852 in the work of British mathematician William Hamilton. Rather, he was advocating that one should not propose any more causes than are necessary to account for any phenomenon. This concept has been inappropriately restated as ‘All things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.’ 1 However, Ockham was not claiming that nature always follows the simplest course, nor that a simple explanation trumps a better, more complex one nor yet that simplicity should overrule the need to explain all the data. Ockham’s razor is a phrase that in Latin is usually rendered Entia non sunt multiplicanda sine necessitate, which translates as: ‘Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity’. Even though he did not invent this idea, he used it so effectively that it came to bear his name. However, he is better known today for the problem-solving logical prinĬiple known as ‘Ockham’s razor’. He opposed the church leadĮrship of his day because they had abandoned clear Bible teaching and instead sought power, influence, and wealth. Was a Bible-believing 14 th-century English philosopher. simply Ockham (sometimes sp elled ‘Occam’), Other later scientists stated similar simplifying laws and principles.William of Ockham ‘ The first Protestant’ Likewise, in science, Nicole d’Oresme, a 14th-century French physicist, invoked the law of economy, as did Galileo later, in defending the simplest hypothesis of the heavens. The principle was, in fact, invoked before Ockham by Durandus of Saint-Pourçain, a French Dominican theologian and philosopher of dubious orthodoxy, who used it to explain that abstraction is the apprehension of some real entity, such as an Aristotelian cognitive species, an active intellect, or a disposition, all of which he spurned as unnecessary. The principle is also expressed as “Entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity.” Occam’s razor, also spelled Ockham’s razor, also called law of economy or law of parsimony, principle stated by the Scholastic philosopher William of Ockham (1285–1347/49) that pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate, “plurality should not be posited without necessity.” The principle gives precedence to simplicity: of two competing theories, the simpler explanation of an entity is to be preferred. They cite as an example the competing theories of creationism and evolution, in which relative “simplicity” depends on temporal and cultural context. ![]() Critics of the principle argue that it prioritizes simplicity over accuracy and that, since one cannot absolutely define “simplicity,” it cannot serve as a sure basis of comparison. The validity of Occam’s razor has long been debated. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions. ![]()
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