Razor (philosophy)
Encyclopedia
In philosophy
, a razor is a device which allows one to shave away unlikely explanations for a phenomenon.
Famous razors include:
Some philosophers have proposed anti-razors. Examples include:
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, a razor is a device which allows one to shave away unlikely explanations for a phenomenon.
Famous razors include:
- Aristotle's razor
- Occam's razorOccam's razorOccam's razor, also known as Ockham's razor, and sometimes expressed in Latin as lex parsimoniae , is a principle that generally recommends from among competing hypotheses selecting the one that makes the fewest new assumptions.-Overview:The principle is often summarized as "simpler explanations...
- when faced with competing hypothesis select the one that makes the fewest assumptions - Popper's falsifiability principleFalsifiabilityFalsifiability or refutability of an assertion, hypothesis or theory is the logical possibility that it can be contradicted by an observation or the outcome of a physical experiment...
- a theory can only be scientific if it is falsifiable - Newton's flaming laser sword - what cannot be settled by experiment is not worth debating
- Hanlon's razorHanlon's razorHanlon's Razor is an eponymous adage that reads:This particular form is attributed to a Robert J. Hanlon. However, earlier utterances that convey basically the same idea are known.-Origins and similar quotations:The quotation first came from Robert J...
- assume incompetence over malice - Rand's razor - the requirements of cognition determine the objective criteria of conceptualization.
Some philosophers have proposed anti-razors. Examples include:
- Principle of plenitude