William of Ockham famous quotes

Last updated: Sep 5, 2024

Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem
-- William of Ockham

#Atheism
God's existence cannot be deduced by reason alone.
-- William of Ockham

#Reason #Existence
Intuitive cognition of a thing is cognition that enables us to know whether the thing exists or does not exist, in such a way that, if the thing exists, then the intellect immediately judges that it exists and evidently knows that it exists, unless the judgment happens to be impeded through the imperfection of this cognition.
-- William of Ockham

#Judging #Imperfection #Perception
First it must be known that only a spoken word or a conventional sign is an equivocal or univocal term; therefore a mental contentor concept is, strictly speaking, neither equivocal nor univocal.
-- William of Ockham

#Firsts #Language #Term
Whenever two hypotheses cover the facts, use the simpler of the two.
-- William of Ockham

#Two #Simplicity #Facts
Never increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything.
-- William of Ockham

#Numbers #Entity #Increase
Of two equivalent theories or explanations, all other things being equal, the simpler one is to be preferred.
-- William of Ockham

#Two #Theory #Equal
Entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity.
-- William of Ockham

#Stupidity #Entity
Pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate. A plurality (of reasons) should not be posited without necessity.
-- William of Ockham

#Reason #Should
Plurality should not be assumed without necessity.
-- William of Ockham

#Should
For nothing ought to be posited without a reason given, unless it is self-evident (literally, known through itself) or known by experience or proved by the authority of Sacred Scripture.
-- William of Ockham

#Self #Sacred #Scripture
Simpler explanations are, other things being equal, generally better than more complex ones.
-- William of Ockham

#Equal #Explanation #Being Equal
When you have two competing theories that make exactly the same predictions, the simpler one is the better.
-- William of Ockham

#Two #Predictions #Theory
Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity.
-- William of Ockham

#Entity
The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct.
-- William of Ockham

#Assumption #Explanation
With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.
-- William of Ockham

#Equal #Explanation #Simplest
Plurality is not to be posited without necessity.
-- William of Ockham

#Logic
It is vain to do with more what can be done with less.
-- William of Ockham

#Simple #Done #Vain
Entities should not be posited unnecessarily.
-- William of Ockham

#Science #Should #Entity

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