BEWARE of Occam's Razor

It's sharper than you think.

Welcome to Insight Axis, where I make connections between practical philosophy, technology, books, science, and more. I’m Zan - follow me on Substack.

I assume most of my readers have heard of Occam's razor. For those who haven't, it's a philosophical rule of thumb attributed to 14th Century theologian, William of Ockham. In his Summa Totius Logicae, he wrote:

"It is futile to do with more things that which can be done with fewer."

Since then, Ockham's words have morphed into the more recognisable Occam's razor:

"The simplest explanation is usually the best one."

I want to explain to you why I think Occam's razor is a dangerous double-edged blade. First, I'll show you why you can only use this razor in specific situations. Then I'll show you how it doesn't necessarily favour simplicity - it could just be deferring complexity to other objects.

Occam's razor is a precision tool, not a panacea

Since Occam's razor is about explanations, I want to take some time to define what a good explanation…