6/13/2023 0 Comments William of ockham quotesIn fact, the more complex hypothesis prediction may be the correct one. It is a 'heuristic maxim,' commonly known as a rule of thumb, guiding research down the easiest course. Occam's razor is not part of the reasoning process, as such, because it makes no definition of the relative strength of a theory. If you have a few hypotheses that could explain an observation, it is usually best to start with the simplest one. In science, it is getting rid of all the assumptions that make no difference to the predictions of the hypothesis. Occam's razor is the process of paring down information to make finding the truth easier. Researchers should avoid 'stacking' information to prove a theory if a simpler explanation fits the observations. The 'correct' interpretation is that entities should not be multiplied needlessly. Occam's razor is more commonly described as 'the simplest answer is most often correct,' although this is an oversimplification. Here are additional selected citations in chronological order starting in 1933.Ĭontinue reading Everything Should Be Made as Simple as Possible, But Not Simpler Posted on OctoCategories Albert Einstein, Louis Zukofsky Tags Albert Einstein, Louis Zukofsky, Sydney J.Whilst it is likely that the philosophy was posthumously attributed to him, as it was based upon common medieval philosophy, it seems to be a result of his minimalist lifestyle. Zukofsky also incorporated the saying in section A-12 of his massive poem titled “A”. Professor Mark Scroggins who has specialist knowledge of Zukofsky believes that the poet probably acquired the aphorism by reading the article by Sessions. The wording used by Sessions and Zukofsky is the same, and it differs somewhat from the most common modern version of the quote. There is also the other side of the coin minted by Einstein: “Everything should be as simple as it can be, but not simpler” – a scientist’s defense of art and knowledge – of lightness, completeness and accuracy. The saying was credited to Einstein and placed inside quotation marks by Zukofsky. In June of 1950 the maxim appeared in the journal Poetry in a book review written by the prominent modernist poet Louis Zukofsky. Indeed, Einstein did express a similar idea using different words as shown by the 1933 citation given further below. Since Sessions used the locution “in effect” he was signaling the possibility that he was paraphrasing Einstein and not presenting his exact words. He said, in effect, that everything should be as simple as it can be but not simpler! I also remember a remark of Albert Einstein, which certainly applies to music. The New York Times published an article by the composer Roger Sessions on Janutitled “How a ‘Difficult’ Composer Gets That Way”, and it included a version of the saying attributed to Einstein : The earliest known appearance of the aphorism was located by poet and scholar Mark Scroggins and later independently by top-flight quotation researcher Ken Hirsch. This quotation prompts the most queries it appeared in Reader’s Digest in July 1977, with no documentation. Quote Investigator: The reference work “The Ultimate Quotable Einstein” published in 2010 is the most comprehensive source for reliable information about the sayings of Albert Einstein, and it states : I like this saying because it compactly articulates the principle of Occam’s razor. I would like to know if the following is a real Einstein quote or if it is apocryphal:Įverything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. Hence a large number of spurious quotes are attributed to him. Albert Einstein? Louis Zukofsky? Roger Sessions? William of Ockham? Anonymous?ĭear Quote Investigator: The credibility of a quotation is increased substantially if it can be ascribed to a widely-recognized genius such as Albert Einstein.
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