Occam’s Razor — Keep It Simple

If Occam’s Razor conjures thoughts of shaved faces and shaving foam, you’re not too far off the mark. The “rule of parsimony,” or Occam’s Razor, is a philosophical instrument for “shaving off” improbable theories.

“The simplest solution is almost always the best,” it says plainly. When it comes to addressing problems, simplicity is preferable to complexity. Many famous minds have relied on this idea, which is named after a 14th-century logician and theologian named William of Ockham.

As the name suggests, Occam’s Razor is a heuristic, a rule of thumb that helps determine which hypothesis has the best chance of being correct. It doesn’t prove or refute anything. Then it merely directs you to the most probable route. It aids in the development of theoretical models by guiding researchers.

There is some controversy about its origin, though. Since Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet, a Scottish metaphysical philosopher who created the name “Occam’s razor,” first wrote about it in 1852, it is widely accepted that William of Ockham was the inspiration for Occam’s razor.

There are many others who have similarly mentioned the same thought. On the other hand, Aristotle articulated the fundamental premise (“the more limited, if adequate, is always preferable”) in addition to Ptolemy (“we consider it a good principle to explain the phenomena by the simplest hypothesis possible”). Isaac Newton made a reference to it in his writings as well (“we are to admit no more causes of natural things than such as are both true and sufficient to explain their appearances”).

There’s no guarantee that Occam’s Razor will choose the simplest hypothesis, regardless of whether it’s correct or incorrect. It just seeks to sort through the noise in order to get to the best explanation possible, one that is grounded in the most current scientific principles and findings.

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