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0 votes
6 answers
136 views

What types of observations necessitate postulating more complex theories without violating Occam's Razor?

This question is inspired by the related question How could both Occam's Razor and complex theories like Quantum Mechanics be correct at the same time?. The accepted answer reasonably argues: The ...
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3 votes
10 answers
1k views

Is simplicity the most important criterion when choosing between theories?

I keep seeing talk here of how simplicity isn’t that important when deciding between theories but after looking at the different kinds of virtues behind theory choice, I fail to see how the rest can ...
Lajar's user avatar
  • 49
0 votes
1 answer
50 views

Which simplicity is given greater priority: explanatory simplicity or ontological simplicity? [duplicate]

If solipsism wins in quantitative simplicity, is that a reason to believe in solipsism? Or does the fact that the existence of other minds wins in explanatory simplicity neutralize the quantitative ...
Arnold's user avatar
  • 589
3 votes
6 answers
2k views

What are theistic responses to Graham Oppy's argument for atheism from naturalism?

Short version I'm specifically referring to Graham Oppy's paper An Argument for Atheism from Naturalism: Abstract This paper outlines an argument for atheism from naturalism that I have developed in ...
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2 votes
13 answers
4k views

Could Occam's Razor ever favor theism?

In principle, could Occam's Razor ever favor theism over rival hypotheses like naturalism? What conditions would have to be met for this to be the case? BONUS: for those interested in naturalism vs. ...
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2 votes
2 answers
97 views

Is brevity the soul of wit?

The principle of parsimony is a fundamental philosophical tool. So, is modern philosophy over-complicated? Simplicity is also elegant. So is modern philosophy inelegant? As well as prolix, irrelevant, ...
Meanach's user avatar
  • 2,341