Occam’s Razor is a methodological principle that advocates for preferring simple theories over complex ones (when both are confirmed by practice). It is named after the monk-philosopher William of Occam.
In this article, we will explain Occam’s Razor in simple terms and discuss its applicability in science and everyday life.
If you are interested in psychology and self-development, this post is for you.
What is Occam’s Razor?
The principle of Occam’s Razor literally states: “Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.”
It is worth noting that what is now understood as “Occam’s Razor” was not created by Occam himself. This concept was known to the ancient Greeks.
The principle of Occam’s Razor is as follows. Suppose a phenomenon can be explained in two ways:
- By involving entities (terms, factors, facts) A, B, and C;
- By involving entities A, B, C, and D.
If both methods yield the same result, the first explanation should be preferred. Entity D in this example is redundant and its inclusion is unnecessary.
It is important to understand that Occam’s Razor is not an axiom but a presumption, meaning it does not prohibit more complex explanations but rather recommends an order of considering hypotheses, which in most cases is the best approach.
Interesting Facts about Occam’s Razor
Medieval philosophy expert Philotheus Boehner claimed that William of Occam often explained his principle as: “Do not assert what is unnecessary.”
In essence, he meant that one should not resort to multiplicity if there is no need. It is much easier and more rational to explain a certain phenomenon with the fewest possible foundations.
For some, Occam’s Razor is expressed as: “What can be explained with less should not be explained with more.”
Interestingly, William of Occam formulated his principle to prove the existence of God. Today, there are many interpretations of Occam’s Razor.
The Principle of Occam’s Razor Today
Nowadays, Occam’s Razor is understood as a principle based on the idea that if there are multiple different explanations that do not contradict each other, the simplest and briefest one should be chosen.
Furthermore, there is no need to invent new interpretations or ways of explaining phenomena if they are already well understood through existing laws.
However, Occam’s Razor is relevant in explanations only when it is possible to provide a comprehensive answer in simple terms. In other words, there should be no apparent reason to use more complex explanations.
It is also interesting to view Occam’s Razor from the perspective of logic. As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the essence of this principle was known to the ancient Greeks. The principle of sufficient reason was used by Aristotle, who lived in the 4th century BCE.
In its current form, Occam’s Razor was characterized by the German mathematician Leibniz.
Leibniz described Occam’s Razor as: “It is appropriate to speak of the existence of objects, phenomena, or regularities only when there are compelling reasons to do so, that is, arguments or logical chains supporting a specific judgment.”
This implies that if it is not possible to explain a phenomenon or object using simple foundations, then Occam’s Razor will be less effective.
Why a Razor?
In philosophy, the term “razor” refers to a tool that helps discard (shave off) unlikely and implausible explanations. Since a razor is a tool for shaving, the same name was transferred to the tool for establishing truth.
To better understand how Occam’s Razor is used in life, let’s look at some specific examples.
Examples of Occam’s Razor
Interestingly, the world-renowned scientist Albert Einstein interpreted Occam’s Razor in his own way. To the physicist, the “razor” looked like this: “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”
In information theory, Occam’s Razor is explained as: “The most accurate message will be the one with the shortest length.” Today, marketers use this principle to create short yet meaningful slogans for their products.
An interesting example of the duality of Occam’s Razor dates back to Plato’s time, who told his students: “Man is a featherless biped.” Hearing this definition, Diogenes plucked a chicken and brought it to the Academy to visually present “Plato’s man.” Plato then added: “And with flat nails!”
Many more examples of Occam’s Razor can be provided, but its meaning is already clear. We hope you now understand what Occam’s Razor is and how this principle is used.