Philosophical interest in these two notions of simplicity may be Virtually interchangeably in much of the philosophical literature. It should be noted, however, that the terms Reserve ‘parsimony’ specifically for simplicity in the Purposes of the present overview we shall follow this usage and These two facets of simplicity are often referred to asĮlegance and parsimony respectively. Of simplicity: syntactic simplicity (roughly, the number andĬomplexity of hypotheses), and ontological simplicity (roughly, the Meanings contributes to the challenge of pinning the notion downĪ distinction is often made between two fundamentally distinct senses Often left unanalyzed, while its vagueness and multiplicity of TheĪpparent familiarity of the notion of simplicity means that it is Invaluable book-length philosophical treatment see Sober 2015). The topic has been studied in piecemealįashion by scientists, philosophers, and statisticians (though for an The philosophical issues surrounding the notion of simplicity are The aim of appeals to simplicity in suchĬontexts seem to be more about shifting the burden of proof, and lessĪbout refuting the less simple theory outright. Task for committing to an uncountably vast realm of abstract Objects may use OR against their platonist opponents, taking them to Thus materialists about the mind may use OR againstĭualism, on the grounds that dualism postulates an extra ontologicalĬategory for mental phenomena. Metaphysical theories which involve allegedly superfluous ontologicalĪpparatus. Within philosophy, Occam’s Razor (OR) is often wielded against Nature and role of simplicity principles in science. Interviewed 40 scientists and found a range of attitudes towards the Played a role in their research, and that simplicity is a desirableįeature of economic theories (Zellner et al. Smallest possible number of hypotheses or axioms (Einstein, quoted inĮditors of a volume on simplicity sent out surveys to 25 recent Possible number of empirical facts by logical deductions from the He grand aim of all science…is to cover the greatest Logic not to multiply entities unnecessarily (Lavoisier 1862, pp.Ĭompare this to the following passage from Einstein, writing 150 years That the principle does not exist, that it is a hypothetical The help of phlogiston, that is enough to render it infinitely likely If all of chemistry can be explained in a satisfactory manner without Here is theĬhemist Lavoisier writing in the late 18 th Century Restricted to the ranks of physicists and astronomers. Nor are scientific advocates of simplicity principles That she makes use of the easiest and simplest means for producing herĮffects that she does nothing in vain, and the like” (Galileoġ632, p. Maintains that “Nature does not multiply things unnecessarily Galileo, in the course of making a detailedĬomparison of the Ptolemaic and Copernican models of the solar system, Simplicity, and affects not the pomp of superfluous causes” Newton goes on to remark that “Nature is pleased with Rule I: We are to admit no more causes of natural things than such asĪre both true and sufficient to explain their appearances. Philosophy’ at the beginning of Book III of Principia Parsimony as one of his three ‘Rules of Reasoning in Of pure reason which underlies scientists’ theorizing about nature Multiplicanda)” and argues that this is a regulative idea Multiplied ( entia praeter necessitatem non esse Maxim that “rudiments or principles must not be unnecessarily Kant-in the Critique of Pure Reason-supports the To do it by means of several for we observe that nature does notĮmploy two instruments where one suffices (Aquinas,, p. If a thing can be done adequately by means of one, it is superfluous Moving to the medieval period, Aquinas writes: We may assume the superiority ceteris paribus of theĭemonstration which derives from fewer postulates or ThusĪristotle writes in his Posterior Analytics, Scientists, from ancient through medieval to modern times. ‘Occam’s (or Ockham’s) Razor.’ Simplicity principles haveīeen proposed in various forms by theologians, philosophers, and However, it is perhaps best known by the name Other times it is elevated to the status of a ‘Principle’Īnd labeled as such (for example, the ‘Principle of Sometimes it is invoked as a primitive, self-evident proposition This presumption that simpler theories are There is a widespread philosophical presumption that simplicity is a
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