Occam's razor
philosophical principle used to judge credibility of statements
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Summary
Occam's razor is a philosophical razor[1]. It draws 42,008 Wikipedia views per month (philosophical razor category, ranking #1 of 2).[2]
Key Facts
- Instance of: aphorism[3], Epigrammatic law[4], heuristic argument[5]
- Named after: William of Ockham[6]
- Depicts: parsimony[7]
- Commons category: Occam's razor[8]
- Described by source: Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 4th edition (1885–1890)[9], Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition[10]
- Different from: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence[11]
- On focus list of Wikimedia project: Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4[12]
Body
Influence
Things named for Occam's razor include Hanlon's razor[13], an aphorism[14] and Hitchens' razor[15], a principle[16].
Why It Matters
Occam's razor has Wikipedia articles in 28 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[17] It is known by 139 alternative names across languages and contexts.[18]
Entities named for it include Hanlon's razor[13], an aphorism[14] and Hitchens' razor[15], a principle[16].