Occam's Razor

Occam's Razor (also spelled Ockham's Razor), is a principle attributed to the 14th-century English logician and Franciscan friar, William of Ockham. It forms the basis of methodological reductionism, also called the principle of parsimony or law of economy.

Related Topics:
14th-century - Franciscan - William of Ockham - Reductionism - Parsimony

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In its simplest form, Occam's Razor states that one should make no more assumptions than needed. Put into everyday language, it says

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:Given two equally predictive theories, choose the simpler.

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For example, a charred tree could be caused by a lightning strike or by someone who used a machine to burn the upper branches of a tree and then replanted the grass leading up to the tree to hide the machine's tracks. According to Occam's Razor, the lightning strike is the preferred explanation as it requires the fewest assumptions.

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