Simple or simplistic? Scientists’ views on Occam’s razor

Theoria 25 (1):75-90 (2010)
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Abstract

Normal 0 21 Normal 0 21 This paper presents a discourse analysis of 30 popular science books and 40 semi-structured interviews with scientists on their views of Occam's razor and simplicity. It finds that there are many different interpretations and thoughts about the precise meaning of the principle as well as many scientists who reject it outright, or only a very limited version. In light of the variation of scientists' opinions, the paper asks what use it has as a rhetorical device and how scientists' interpretation of Occam's razor impacts on the study of popular science and affects the communication between philosophy and science.

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10.1387/theoria.489

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References found in this work

The Logic of Scientific Discovery.Karl Popper - 1959 - Studia Logica 9:262-265.
The Logic of Scientific Discovery.K. Popper - 1959 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 10 (37):55-57.
The past and future of experimental philosophy.Thomas Nadelhoffer & Eddy Nahmias - 2007 - Philosophical Explorations 10 (2):123 – 149.
Simplicity.Alan Baker - 2008 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

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