Ockham's razor
Prefer simpler explanations
Ockham's razor is a principle of reasoning: when multiple explanations fit the facts equally well, prefer the simplest one.
Named for the medieval philosopher William of Ockham, it counsels against multiplying assumptions unnecessarily.
The razor metaphor suggests cutting away excess: Ockham's razor says the simpler theory is probably right.
Also spelled Occam's razor.
Excessive frugality with resources
- simplicityLack of complexity
- eleganceRefined, graceful quality
- heuristicPractical solving shortcut
- principleFundamental truth or standard
economy · sufficiency · plurality · entities · assumptions · explanation · hypothesis · inference
Knowledge through observation
- rationalismReason as knowledge source
- falsifiabilitySusceptibility to disproof
- philosophyStudy of fundamental truths
- deductionConclusion from premises
induction · abduction · validity · soundness · syllogism · premise · proposition · coherence
Methods identifying problems
- troubleshootingSystematic fault diagnosis
- explanationStatement making something clear
- predictionForecast of coming events
- eleganceRefined, graceful quality
parsimony
Excessive frugality with resources
- simplicityLack of complexity
- eleganceRefined, graceful quality
- heuristicPractical solving shortcut
principle · economy · sufficiency · plurality · entities · assumptions · explanation · hypothesis · inference · postulate
empiricism
Knowledge through observation
- rationalismReason as knowledge source
- falsifiabilitySusceptibility to disproof
- philosophyStudy of fundamental truths
deduction · induction · abduction · validity · soundness · syllogism · premise · proposition · coherence · plausibility
diagnostics
Methods identifying problems
- troubleshootingSystematic fault diagnosis
- explanationStatement making something clear
- predictionForecast of coming events
- ontologyontology, being, existence, becoming, universals
Ockham's razorovercomplication
Making something unnecessarily complex
epicycles · overfitting · maximalism · overthinking · overengineering