WILLIAM OF OCCAM

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William of Occam (also spelled Ockham) significantly influenced medieval thought in the fourteenth century. He is well known for his scientific principle called Occam’s razor. He helped advance society in various ways through logic, theology, and philosophy. 

 

William of Occam thought that logic was vital to understanding every aspect of life. In the “Prefatory Letter” to his Summa of Logic, he wrote, “For logic is the most useful tool of all the arts. Without it no science can be fully known. It is not worn out by repeated use, after the manner of material tools, but rather admits of continual growth through the diligent exercise of any other science. For just as a mechanic who lacks a complete knowledge of his tool gains a fuller [knowledge] by using it, so one who is educated in the firm principles of logic, while he painstakingly devotes his labor to the other sciences, acquires at the same time a greater skill at this art.”

 

William of Occam came up with a principle known as Occam’s razor to help with problem-solving. Occam’s razor states, “Don’t multiply entities beyond necessity.” Essentially, the principle states that when presented with competing hypotheses that predict the same thing, one should select the solution with the fewest assumptions. This principle prefers simplicity in the scientific method, acting as a guide to testing hypotheses.