Ockham's razor definition of Ockham's razor in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

Ockham's razor

Methodological principle of parsimony in scientific explanation. Traditionally attributed to William of Ockham, the principle prescribes that entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity. In practice, this means that if a phenomenon can be explained without assuming the existence of an entity, then philosophers and scientists should not assume the entity's existence. The history of science provides many examples of the principle's application (e.g., the rejection by scientists of the hypothesis of a luminiferous ether in response to Albert Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity). See also materialism.

Ockham's razor

′äk·əmz ′rā·zər

(science and technology)

The doctrine that unnecessary assumptions should be avoided in formulating hypotheses.

Mentioned in	?		References in periodicals archive	?		Encyclopedia browser	?		Full browser	?
No references found	First I went to see Ockham's Razor with their stunning, spellbinding pieces of aerial theatre, then Pacitti Company's somewhat disturbing and thought-provoking promenade performance of Finale and finally Northern Broadside's political farce, AccidentalDeath Of An Anarchist, which was extremely well acted, cleverly adapted, topical and hilarious in places Letter: Mailbag - Take a bow, LBT by Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England) In the spirit of Ockham's razor, this study uses the less complicated method of estimating future participation at a regional level, to show that parsimony is equally successful, more accessible, credible and replicable, and requires less data--a particular issue for regional analysis. Labour force projections: a case study of the Greater Metropolitan ... by Tan, Yan; Lester, Laurence; Richardson, Sue / Australian Bulletin of Labour Surely Ockham's razor can be usefully invoked in a case such as this. Unpersuaded by Blum, Christopher Olaf / Modern Age	Ochoa, Severo Ochoan Ochorowicz, Julian Ochotonidae ochratoxin A ochre ochre mutation Ochrept Ochrida Ochrobium Ochrolechia ochroleucous ochronosis Ochs, Adolph S. Ochs, Adolph Simon Ochs, Baron Ochs, Peter Ochs, Phil Ochsner, Alton Ochteridae Ochteroidea Ocimum Ockeghem, Johannes Ocker, William C. Ockham Ockham's razor Ockham, William Ockham, William of OCL OCLC Ocmulgee Ocmulgee National Monument Ocnus OCO OCODE Ocoee River Oconee Oconee County Oconee State Park Oconee Station State Historic Site OConnell, Daniel OConnor, Arthur OConnor, Feargus Edward OConnor, Frank Oconto County ocotea oil Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area OCP OCR ocrea OCS	Ockam’s Razor Ockam’s Rule Ockam’s Rule Ockam’s Rule Ockamy Ockanickon Scout Reservation OCKC OCKD OCKED Ockeghem Ockeghem, Johannes Ockenden International ocker Ocker, William C. ockers Ockham Ockham Ockham Ockham Personal Insurance Holdings Ockham Principle Ockham Principle Ockham Principle Ockham razor Ockham razor Ockham razor Ockham Rule Ockham Rule Ockham Rule Ockham's proof of God Ockham's proof of God Ockham's razor Ockham's razor. Ockham's razor. Ockham's razor. Ockham, William Ockham, William Ockham, William of Ockham, William of Ockham’s Principle Ockham’s Principle Ockham’s Principle Ockham’s Razor Ockham’s Razor Ockham’s Razor Ockham’s Rule Ockham’s Rule Ockham’s Rule Ockhams razor Ockhams razor Ockhams razor OCKJ Ockman's razor Ockman's razor Ockman's razor ockodols OCKT OCL OCL OCL-GC OCLA OCLAE

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

Encyclopedia browser

Full browser

No references found

First I went to see Ockham's Razor with their stunning, spellbinding pieces of aerial theatre, then Pacitti Company's somewhat disturbing and thought-provoking promenade performance of Finale and finally Northern Broadside's political farce, AccidentalDeath Of An Anarchist, which was extremely well acted, cleverly adapted, topical and hilarious in places

Letter: Mailbag - Take a bow, LBT by Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England)

In the spirit of Ockham's razor, this study uses the less complicated method of estimating future participation at a regional level, to show that parsimony is equally successful, more accessible, credible and replicable, and requires less data--a particular issue for regional analysis.

Labour force projections: a case study of the Greater Metropolitan ... by Tan, Yan; Lester, Laurence; Richardson, Sue / Australian Bulletin of Labour

Surely Ockham's razor can be usefully invoked in a case such as this.

Unpersuaded by Blum, Christopher Olaf / Modern Age