Ockhamâ??s Razor (named for the great medieval theologian William Ockham [1287-1347]) is a principle governing inference to the best explanation. It states, Do not multiply causes beyond necessity. In other words, we are justified in positing only such causes as are necessary to explain the phenomenon in question. Positing any further causes would be gratuitous.
Internet atheists sometimes misuse Ockhamâ??s Razor by saying that because atheism is simpler than theism (having one less entity), it is the better view. But Ockhamâ??s Razor does not say, Prefer the simpler theory. Simplicity purchased at the price of explanatory adequacy is a foolâ??s bargain. An explanatorily adequate theory will posit some additional causes to explain the phenomenon in question, and Ockhamâ??s Razor counsels us not to postulate more causes than are necessary to explain the effect.
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