more from Tim Maudlin

Single Idea 16255

[catalogued under 2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 6. Ockham's Razor]

Full Idea

The Razor is good when it councils higher credence to explanations which posit a single cause to multiple events that occur in a striking pattern, over explanations involving coincidental multiple causes.

Gist of Idea

The Razor rightly prefers one cause of multiple events to coincidences of causes

Source

Tim Maudlin (The Metaphysics within Physics [2007], 2.5)

Book Reference

Maudlin,Tim: 'The Metaphysics within Physics' [OUP 2007], p.76


A Reaction

This is in the context of Maudlin warning against embracing the Razor too strongly. Presumably inductive success suggests that the world supports this particular use of the Razor.