William of Ockham Quotes

• God's existence cannot be deduced by reason alone.

  William of Ockham

  Reason, Existence

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• It is vain to do with more what can be done with less.

  William of Ockham

  Peace, Creativity, Simple

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• With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.

  William of Ockham

  Occam's Razor, Equal, Explanation

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• The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct.

  William of Ockham

  Assumption, Occam's Razor, Explanation

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• Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem

  William of Ockham

  Atheism, Razors, Occam's Razor

  'Occams's Razor', an ancient philosophical principle often attributed to Occam but earlier in origin; not found in this form in his writings, though he frequently used similar expressions, e.g. Pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate [Plurality should not be assumed unnecessarily] in 'Quodlibeta' (c.1324) no. 5, question 1, art. 2. J. C. Way (ed.) 'Opera Theologica' (1980) vol. 9, p. 476

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• My God is the green tide in the spring leaves the redness of cherries high in the air the excitement of shooting stars the song of birds in summer branches the sunrise on a winter's morning the name of everything we don't understand.

  William of Ockham

  Summer, Song, Morning

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• No more things should be presumed to exist than are absolutely necessary.

  William of Ockham

  Should

  'Occams's Razor', an ancient philosophical principle often attributed to Occam but earlier in origin; not found in this form in his writings, though he frequently used similar expressions, e.g. Pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate [Plurality should not be assumed unnecessarily] in 'Quodlibeta' (c.1324) no. 5, question 1, art. 2. J. C. Way (ed.) 'Opera Theologica' (1980) vol. 9, p. 476

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• 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, Reason

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• When you have two competing theories that make exactly the same predictions, the simpler one is the better.

  William of Ockham

  Two, Predictions, Theory

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• Never increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything.

  William of Ockham

  Numbers, Increase, Entity

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• Simpler explanations are, other things being equal, generally better than more complex ones.

  William of Ockham

  Equal, Explanation, Being Equal

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• 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

  William (of Ockham), Philotheus Boehner (1990). “Philosophical Writings: A Selection”, p.115, Hackett Publishing

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• What can be explained by the assumption of fewer things is vainly explained by the assumption of more things.

  William of Ockham

  Assumption, Fewer

  William (of Ockham), Philotheus Boehner (1990). “Philosophical Writings: A Selection”, p.21, Hackett Publishing

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• 3 is a prime, 5 is a prime, and 7 is a prime. Why bother with non-prime numbers when the primes can do everything?

  William of Ockham

  Numbers, Prime, Bother

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• Entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity.

  William of Ockham

  Stupidity, Occam's Razor, Entity

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• Whenever two hypotheses cover the facts, use the simpler of the two.

  William of Ockham

  Two, Simplicity, Use

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• 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

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• Plurality is not to be posited without necessity.

  William of Ockham

  Witty, Logic

  William (of Ockham), Philotheus Boehner (1990). “Philosophical Writings: A Selection”, p.21, Hackett Publishing

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• Entities should not be posited unnecessarily.

  William of Ockham

  Science, Should, Entity

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• Of two equivalent theories or explanations, all other things being equal, the simpler one is to be preferred.

  William of Ockham

  Two, Decision, Occam's Razor

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• Pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate. A plurality (of reasons) should not be posited without necessity.

  William of Ockham

  Reason, Should

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• Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity.

  William of Ockham

  Occam's Razor, Entity

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• Plurality should not be assumed without necessity.

  William of Ockham

  Simple, Simplicity, Less Is More

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