William of Ockham > Quotes

“The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct.”
― Franciscan friar William of Ockham

“With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.”
― William of Ockham

“Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.”
― William of Ockham, Ockham's theory of terms, part I of the Summa logicae

“All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one.”
― William of Ockham

“It is futile to do with more what can be done with fewer.”
― William of Ockham, Summa Totius Logicae

“Keep things simple.”
― William of Ockham

“When you have two competing theories that make exactly the same predictions, the simpler one is the better.”
― Franciscan friar William of Ockham

“Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem.”
― William of Ockham

“The simplest explanation is usually the right one”
― Occam s Razor

“Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate. (Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily.)”
― William of Ockham

“Plurality must never be posited without necessity”
― William of Ockham

“Plurality is never to be posited without necessity.”
― William of Ockham, Quaestiones et decisiones in quattuor libros Sententiarum Petri Lombardi

“Numquam ponenda est pluralitas sine necessitate [Plurality must never be posited without necessity]”
― William of Ockham

“It is vain to do with more what can be done with less.”
― William of Ockham

“Omnis homo praeter Sortem currit, igitur Plato currit et sic de aliis a Sorte.”
― William of Ockham, Philosophical Writings

“Frustra fit per plura quod potest fieri per pauciora [It is futile to do with more things that which can be done with fewer]”
― William of Ockham, Summa Totius Logicae

“It is futile to do with more things, that which can be done with less.”
― William of Ockham

“..et tamen nihil est sciens vel quiescens, nisi actualiter sit sciens vel quiescens.”
― William of Ockham, Philosophical Writings

“Plurality should not be assumed without necessity”
― William of Ockham

“Man is no longer attracted at all by the good. He finds himself in a state of total indifference with regard to good & evil... the intervention of an external element is necessary. Obedience to the law is what defines the good, for example. "It is good because the law requires of it of me" instead of "The law requires it of me because it is good”
― William of Ockham