- Nov 1, 2001
- 61,504
- 12
- 56
anyone ever heard of this? i just did recently... very interesting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_RazorOccam's Razor (also spelt 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.
In its simplest form, Occam's Razor states that one should make no more assumptions than needed. Put into everyday language, it says
The simplest explanation is the best.
When multiple explanations are available for a phenomenon, the simplest version is preferred. For example, a charred tree on the ground could be caused by a landing alien ship or a lightning strike. According to Occam's Razor, the lightning strike is the preferred explanation as it requires the fewest assumptions.
