Title

God, Occam, and Science

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2012

Abstract

William of Ockham (c. 1285-1349) famously asserted that the simplest answer should be preferred when formulating theories. This premise is common sense, and also widely accepted as a basic principle of crafting solid scientific explanations. However, “Occam’s razor,” as the maxim is now known, also raises problems. Both some atheists and some intelligent design advocates have claimed that, by the logic of Occam’s razor, if science does not detect evidence of miraculous action, then God is an unnecessary complication for scientific explanations. But is that in fact how Occam's razor works in science?

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