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Joe Manuel posted an update in the group
7 months ago (edited)Knowledge Shared = Knowledge Multiplied ” Good To Know “
” Occam’s Razor “
Occam’s (or Ockham’s) razor is a principle attributed to the 14th century logician and Franciscan friar William of Ockham. Ockham was the village in the English county of Surrey where he was born.
Occam’s razor (or Ockham’s razor) is a principle from philosophy. Suppose an event has two possible explanations. The explanation that requires the fewest assumptions is usually correct. Another way of saying it is that the more assumptions you have to make, the more unlikely an explanation. Occam’s razor applies especially in the philosophy of science, but also appears in everyday life.
“In real life, this concept suggests that we should avoid unnecessary complexity.” By opting for the simpler explanation, you reduce the risk of adding extra elements that might not be needed and focus on what’s essential.
Having said that Occam’s Razor does not mean “the simplest explanation is true”.
The idiom “when you hear hoofbeats think horses, not zebras” refers to this principle that the most likely solution is the simplest one. This is not because simpler explanations are usually correct, but because you make fewer assumptions when looking for horses instead of zebras.