ockham's razor
Noun: - A principle of reasoning and problem-solving: Ockham's Razor is the philosophical and scientific guideline that, when presented with multiple competing explanations for the same phenomenon, the simplest one—the one that makes the fewest assumptions—is most likely to be correct. It advocates for theoretical simplicity and warns against unnecessary complexity.
Ockham's Razor is used as a heuristic (a rule of thumb) to guide logical deduction and hypothesis selection. - It is invoked in scientific discourse to favor theories with fewer parameters or entities. - It is applied in everyday reasoning and problem-solving to cut through convoluted explanations. - It is often cited with phrases like "apply Ockham's Razor" or "according to Ockham's Razor."
- The detective applied Ockham's Razor, concluding the simplest explanation—that the husband was the culprit—was more probable than an elaborate conspiracy.
- In developing the new software, the engineer used Ockham's Razor to eliminate needlessly complex code structures.
- Ockham's Razor suggests that the patient's common symptoms are likely from a single common illness, not two rare diseases simultaneously.
- "To shave with Ockham's Razor": A metaphorical phrase meaning to rigorously eliminate unnecessary assumptions from an argument or theory.
- The researcher had to shave her initial hypothesis with Ockham's Razor to make it testable.
- The principle is also commonly known as the Principle of Parsimony or the Law of Economy.
- Occam's Razor: The most common alternate spelling, named after the 14th-century English philosopher William of Ockham.
- Principle of Parsimony (n): A direct synonym emphasizing frugality in theoretical assumptions.
- Lex Parsimoniae (n): The Latin term for the "law of parsimony."
- Principle of parsimony
- Law of economy
- Rule of simplicity
While a fundamental tool for rational thought, Ockham's Razor is a guiding principle, not an irrefutable law. It suggests probability, not certainty. The simplest explanation is preferred because it is often more testable and less prone to error, but it is not always the correct one.
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the principle that entities should not be multiplied needlessly; the simplest of two competing theories is to be preferred
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