“With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.”
William of Ockham (1285–1349) medieval philosopher and theologian
Variant: The simplest explanation is usually the right one
Source: Deception Point
“With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.”
William of Ockham (1285–1349) medieval philosopher and theologian
Variant: The simplest explanation is usually the right one
“The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct.”
William of Ockham (1285–1349) medieval philosopher and theologian
“When a constraint exists advantage can usually be taken of it.”
W. Ross Ashby (1903–1972) British psychiatrist
Source: An Introduction to Cybernetics (1956), Part 2: Variety, p. 130
Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English mathematician and philosopher
The Concept of Nature (1919), Chapter VII, p.143 http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18835/18835-h/18835-h.htm#CHAPTER_VII. <br class="br">1910s <br class="br">Context: The aim of science is to seek the simplest explanations of complex facts. We are apt to fall into the error of thinking that the facts are simple because simplicity is the goal of our quest. The guiding motto in the life of every natural philosopher should be, "Seek simplicity and distrust it."