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<\/a><\/p>\nI frequently hear or read Ockham\u2019s Razor (sometimes spelled Occam\u2019s Razor) in television shows, movies, documentaries, and books. Most of the time it is misused, even abused. People usually misunderstand it and even philosophers and scientists who should know better often misuse it.<\/p>\n
The popular version is that Ockham\u2019s Razor means that the simplest explanation is always the best. It is said to be a pillar of modern science.<\/p>\n
William of Ockham was a Catholic friar and theologian who lived in the 13th and 14th centuries in Europe. He was born in England but traveled around Europe. Because he rejected the absolute authority of the pope over all rulers, including over emperors, he was sought by the Inquisition. He found safety and refuge in Munich, Germany at a time when the Bavarian monarch agreed with him. He died there, probably of plague. I lived in Munich and found no monument to him or any grave. He is generally considered to have been a heretic by the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n
Interesting side note: In the movie The Name of the Rose Sean Connery plays the lead role as William of Baskerville-a combination of Sherlock Holmes and William of Ockham.<\/p>\n
Back to his \u201crazor.\u201d<\/p>\n
What Ockham meant by his \u201crazor,\u201d a label given it later and by others, is that the best explanation of any event is the one that requires the fewest assumptions.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s a problem with that. As we now know in postmodernity, assumptions are crucial but highly debatable. An assumption may be crucial even if most experts reject it!<\/p>\n
Ockham\u2019s principle (razor) aimed at eliminating supernatural explanations in matters physical. In other words, if the movement of a planet or star can be explained by natural laws, then there is no need to call on supernatural or spiritual causes to explain it. In fact, they should not be called on.<\/p>\n
Almost everyone agrees with that principle in matters strictly material, physical. At least in modern science almost everyone agrees with it. But did Ockham intend his razor to be used to eliminate metaphysics? Some say yes. I seriously doubt it. He was a faithful Franciscan friar!<\/p>\n
To rescue God from being banished from all explanation, many Christians after Ockham spoke of primary and secondary causes. That is not to say the distinction was new; it is only to say it came to have a new purpose and value.<\/p>\n
Many events have both a primary and secondary cause. Modern science focuses only on secondary causes, reducing primary causation to secondary. And that works \u201cin the laboratory\u201d or \u201cout in the field,\u201d so to speak. We don\u2019t expect or even want scientists as scientists who appeal to supernatural, spiritual primary causes when explaining events. But that is not to say events cannot have primary causes that are important for a full explanation of what happens.<\/p>\n
Think of a car accident. One cause might be slippery roads. But what if one driver was drunk? Which is the real cause of the accident? Can anyone say the real explanation is the simplest one? Or even the one that requires the fewest assumptions? One could easily assume that since the road was slippery that was the primary cause. Or one could easily assume that the inebriation of one driver was the primary cause.<\/p>\n
Many events have more than one cause or explanation. Is it safe and right to eliminate all but material-physical causes and explanations?<\/p>\n
In the case of the car accident family members of the drunk driver might know that he suffered from suicidal ideation. Might he have driven under the influence on slippery roads in order to die? If so, and perhaps only the family knows, might there be a non-scientific explanation that would be necessary fully to understand the event? The police would probably not investigate the non-material, non-physical causes, if any, and yet there might be one (or more).<\/p>\n
So it is that theology is not necessarily violating Ockham\u2019s razor by assuming that God plays a causal role in many events. And it is highly unlikely that Ockham himself would disagree! It is only the misuse of Ockham\u2019s Razor by naturalists (people who believe nature is all there is) that rules out as superstitious any belief in spiritual or supernatural causes and explanations.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, in the science laboratory or on the field where some scientists work, appeal to supernatural causes and explanations is rightly ruled out. When no natural cause can be found, scientists should, AS SCIENTISTS, simply admit they don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
However, they should not rule out any and all spiritual and supernatural causes and explanations just because those are not in their bailiwick or portfolio, so to speak. They might even believe in supernatural and spiritual causes. But they should not use them in their scientific research\u2014at least not as final or fully explanatory.<\/p>\n
(Yes, some scientific researchers have claimed that prayer plays a role in healing, but that should never become THE scientific explanation or treatment of healing or illness.)<\/p>\n
*Note: If you choose to comment, make sure your comment is relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of pictures or links.*<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I frequently hear or read Ockham\u2019s Razor (sometimes spelled Occam\u2019s Razor) in television shows, movies, documentaries, and books. Most of the time it is misused, even abused. People usually misunderstand it and even philosophers and scientists who should know better often misuse it. The popular version is that Ockham\u2019s Razor means that the simplest explanation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":13187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n