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Occam's Razor Law

 


  Have you heard about Occam's razor law also spelled Ockham's razor law before? Well if you haven't is a problem-solving principle that serves as a useful mental model. Occam's razor law is also known as the "law of parsimony". Occam's razor is credited to William of Ockham, a Franciscan theologian, and philosopher who lived during the late 13th to mid-14th century friar, philosopher, and theologian.  

  In simpler language, Occam's razor states that the simplest explanation is preferable to one that is more complex. Simple theories are easier to verify. Simple solutions are easier to execute. We should avoid looking for excessively complex solutions to a problem, and focus on what works given the circumstances. Occam's razor can be used in a wide range of situations, as a means of making rapid decisions and establishing truths without empirical evidence.

  The principle can be applied in many fields of science and logic. If two computer programs do the same job, for example, the shorter one, in which less code can go wrong, is probably preferable. Another example is if you are a doctor and a patient turns up complaining of a blocked nose, it is more likely they have a common cold than a rare immune-system disorder. When we failed an important test and want to know why, some explanation is likely we didn't study hard enough, on the other hand, less likely the teacher sabotaged our grade.

  Like most conspiracy theories, the sabotage theory only works with a lot of assumptions. We must assume that the teacher dislikes us enough (not the classmates) to risk their job in order to bring our grades down. Occam's razor indicates that our failure to study harder is the preferable explanation in this case.

  We can think of it in terms of basic probability theory. All things can be ascribed to a probability of happening. As such, any assumptions we add to our theory introduce further possibilities for error, and if an assumption isn't improving the accuracy of a theory. It just increases the probability the theory is wrong. If a more complex theory is available that better explains the facts, then the more complex theory should be preferred. 

  At the bottom of the line, it is important to realise that Occam's razor is more of a logical guideline. It is merely a tool to help make that thinking more efficient. Occam's razor is complemented by other mental models, including fundamental error distribution, confirmation bias, availability heuristic, and hindsight bias. The nature of mental models is that they tend to all interlock and work best in conjunction. Thank you for your time and hopefully this article is useful for you. Have a nice day 😀.

  

References:

  1. What is Occam's razor? (2022). Available at: https://www.livescience.com/what-is-occams-razor.
  2. What is Occam’s razor? | New Scientist (2023). Available at: https://www.newscientist.com/definition/occams-razor/.
  3. How to Use Occam’s Razor Without Getting Cut (2019). Available at: https://fs.blog/occams-razor/.
  4. Examples of Occam's Razor: Principle Simply Explained (2023). Available at: https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-occam-s-razor.html.

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