Occam's Razor.

click fraud protection

William of Ockham was one of the most popular philosopher of the XIV century.But modernity knows him only through the authorship of the principle of simplicity.In one of his books, he proposed to cut the whole mess, leaving only the required arguments.This principle called "Occam's razor" and it sounds like this: "You should not multiply entities without necessity."In other words, it offers where possible, simple explanations do not complicate them.

limits of the principle of Occam's

principle of "Occam's razor" is that the reasoning should not be cluttered with obsolete concepts and terms, if you can do without them.The wording change it countless times, but the meaning is thus remained unchanged.

written numerous monographs on how to act "Occam's razor".This principle has become as important as the logic of the excluded middle, or the theory of relativity in physics.

But Are the "Occam's Razor" in daily life?Or it can be used only for research purposes?If we talk about the limits of the principle of simplicity, it is possible there are situations in science, when the economy of thinking does not bring the expected results?And always there in life is necessary to solve the problem only as they arrive?

Of course, such a situation is quite real, since both science and our everyday life do not flow smoothly and measured.In some cases, you need to take specific decisions on which depends the future course of life or scientific events.And there comes a time when the obsolete theory is replaced by a completely new.And at this time it is not necessary to solve the problems with the help of "Occam's razor".It is not necessary to cut "superfluous", otherwise you will miss something very important specifically for you or humanity in general.

So, we can conclude that "Occam's razor" is applicable when in science and in life quality is not expected to change.

Example for the formulation of Occam

specialist in the history of philosophy of the Middle Ages Filoteus Bener in one of the editions of 1957 reports that "Occam's Razor" mostly formulated by the author as follows: "It is not worth much without the need to approve."It is worth noting that only voiced by William of Ockham principle of simplicity, known since Aristotle.In logic, it is called the "law of sufficient reason."

For example, a situation to which you can apply Occam's razor can result in a response that gave the physicist and mathematician Laplace Emperor Napoleon.Allegedly, the last scientist said that in his theories is not enough room for God.What Laplace replied: "I had no need to examine this hypothesis."

If restate the principle of simplicity and economy of language information, it would be: "The exact message - short message."

This rule can be attributed to the timely and today the requirements specification concepts.Each of the definitions used must be precise to eliminate the possibility of creating unnecessary, claiming to be all-embracing.

In the logic of the savings assumptions is that none of the accepted abstracts should not flow out from the rest.That is the proof of the axiom should not be unnecessary statements which are not directly related to it.Although this rule is not mandatory savings.