Occam's Razor

Occam's razor (also Ockham's razor, novacula Occami) is a scientific principle, which is attributed to the scotish logician and Franciscan friar Father William d'Okham (1285 - 1349) but is indeed far older. The principle can even be found in the works of Aristotle (384–322 BC) (Charlesworth 1956). It was named after William of Ockham in the 19th century, even if it was never explicitly used by him, but implicit in his writings.

The philosoph Johannes Clauberg wrote 1654: 'Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem or sine necessitate: "entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity", which became one of the best known descriptions of the principle.

The term Occam's razor for this minimalistic approach was coined in 1852 by the Scottish metaphysician Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet (1788 – 1856)

The minimalistic approach in science

The principle of Occam's razor is often described incorrectly as "the simplest explanation is most likely the correct one". A more correct explanation would be: "We should tend towards simpler theories (see justifications section below) until we have to trade some simplicity for increased explanatory power". The simplest available theory is sometimes a less accurate explanation.

It still advises a minimalistic approach to science and logic. A hypothesis with less exceptions can be tested easier and it is easier to falsify it than a complex explanation. We know from experience that more often than not the theory that requires more complicated machinations is wrong. Until proved otherwise, the more complex theory competing with a simpler explanation should be put on the back burner, but not thrown onto the trash heap of history until proven false.

See also

• Inverted Occam's Razor