Principle of parsimony: also called Ockham’s Razor.
Principle that one should not multiply entities unnecessarily, or make further assumptions than are needed, and in general that one should pursue the simplest hypothesis.
Adoption of this principle, though seemingly obvious, leads to problems about the role of simplicity in science, especially when we are choosing between hypotheses that are not (or are not known to be) equivalent.
There are often different and clashing criteria for what is the simplest hypothesis, and it is not clear whether a simpler hypothesis is pro tanto more likely to be true; and if not, what justification other than laziness there is for adopting it.
Source:
Philosophy of Science (1961); journal containing symposium on simplicity
Table of Contents
- 1 Videos
- 2 Related Products
- 2.1 The Principle of Parsimony in Medicine, and Other Essays
- 2.2 Occam's Razor (The Gentleman Losers 'Principle Of Parsimony' Remix)
- 2.3 Machine Learning: A Constraint-Based Approach
- 2.4 Mario Bunge: A Centenary Festschrift
- 2.5 Regime Change You Can Believe In: The Minimalist Joy of Opting Out
- 2.6 A Tale of Two Cities (Oxford World's Classics) Reissue Edition by Dickens, Charles published by Oxford University Press, USA Paperback
- limited independent variety principle
- humanity principle
- charity principle
- induction
- perfection principle
Videos
The Principle of Parsimony in Medicine, and Other Essays
- Hardcover Book
- TARLOW, I.M. (Author)
- 03/02/1969 (Publication Date) - Charles C. Thomas (Publisher)
Machine Learning: A Constraint-Based Approach
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Gori, Marco (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 559 Pages - 11/20/2017 (Publication Date) - Morgan Kaufmann (Publisher)
Mario Bunge: A Centenary Festschrift
- Hardcover Book
- English (Publication Language)
- 827 Pages - 07/18/2019 (Publication Date) - Springer (Publisher)
Regime Change You Can Believe In: The Minimalist Joy of Opting Out
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Perry, Jack (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 296 Pages - 05/23/2017 (Publication Date) - Stairway Press (Publisher)
A Tale of Two Cities (Oxford World's Classics) Reissue Edition by Dickens, Charles published by Oxford University Press, USA Paperback
- English (Publication Language)
- 07/15/2008 (Publication Date) - Oxford University Press (Publisher)
Last update 2020-06-17. Price and product availability may change.