Astronomers Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei had very difficult times convincing their Renaissance contemporaries that the Earth was not actually the center of the universe. But without examining all the evidence, the doctor may miss other symptoms that reveal possible infections, allergic reactions or other life-threatening conditions.Īnother example is heliocentrism, or the understanding that the sun is positioned at the center of the solar system. However, relying on a simplified version of Occam's razor could potentially lead to oversimplifying a situation.įor example, if a doctor is examining a patient with a high fever and cough, they may settle on the simplest explanation: the patient has a cold. Occam's razor is a very helpful heuristic tool for deciding between theories. It merely suggests that, among all possible answers to a question, the best bet is generally the one that requires the fewest assumptions. It does not claim that the simplest answer is always correct. Occam's razor makes no absolute assertions. It has been referenced as far back as Aristotle, who wrote "the more limited, if adequate, is always preferable." Ptolomy also used the principle to guide his explanations: "it is a good principle to explain phenomena by the simplest hypothesis available." Occam's razor was first attributed to Ockham in 1852 by philosopher Sir William Hamilton as he referenced the works of Ockham. Ockham was not the first to discover this principle. Faced with the disappointing mess that is modern politics, how likely is it REALLY that reptilian aliens have infiltrated our government? The simpler explanation is a combination of corruption, incompetence and structural inefficiency.Fourteenth-century Franciscan friar William of Ockham gave the world a rule: Non sunt multiplicanda entia sine necessitate, or “entities must not be multiplied without necessity.” In other words, the simplest answer - that is, the answer that requires the fewest assumptions - is generally the correct one. Occam’s razor is also often used to debunk conspiracy theories. But atheists might counter that the existence of a divine being who created the world in just seven days is much less simple (and relies on more assumptions) than the big bang theory - a great example of how simplicity is in the eye of the beholder. “Isn’t the simplest explanation of how the Earth was created that God created it?” they say. Many Creationists use Occam’s razor to argue the existence of God. “You have a headache?”, “Oh no… you might have the Black Death!” Sure, it’s true that one of the symptoms of the Black Death is a headache but, using Occam’s razor, it’s obviously much more likely that you’re dehydrated or suffering from a common cold. Occam’s razor tells us that we shouldn’t get sucked into a whirlpool of paranoia after scrolling through WebMD. But there are plenty of examples in our everyday lives too. This principle is popular among skeptics, a group of people inclined to keep an open mind and believe only what we can sense or what can be proven scientifically. Also, ‘simplicity’ is often subject to heavy debate, so you and I might come to different conclusions when faced with a decision between the same 2 hypotheses. It doesn’t prove or disprove, it simply leads you down the path that’s most likely to be correct. Remember, however, that Occam’s razor is a heuristic, a rule of thumb, to suggest which hypothesis is most likely to be true. Underdetermination says that for any theory in science there will always be at least one other rival theory that could conceivably be correct, so the scientific method uses Occam’s razor in order to circumvent this issue and choose a working hypothesis. Some argue that the scientific method was built upon the principles of Occam’s razor. A statement that includes many ‘ifs’ should trigger mental alarm bells: you should consider Occam’s razor and investigate it further. Namesake William of Occam said the best explanation of any phenomenon is the one that makes the fewest assumptions. Essentially, when faced with competing explanations for the same phenomenon, the simplest is likely the correct one. If Occam’s razor brings to mind images of stubbled gentlemen and shaving cream, you’re not actually that far off! Occam’s razor (also known as the ‘law of parsimony’) is a philosophical tool for ‘shaving off’ unlikely explanations. What is Occam’s razor? Definition and explanation
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