Full Idea
We prefer simpler theories through wishful thinking, or a bias which slants the data, or a bias where the simpler hypothesis is more open to confirmation, or simpler hypotheses tolerating wider deviations in score-keeping.
Gist of Idea
There are four suspicious reasons why we prefer simpler theories
Source
Willard Quine (On Simple Theories of a Complex World [1960], p.258)
Book Reference
Quine,Willard: 'Ways of Paradox and other essays' [Harvard 1976], p.258
A Reaction
[a compression of his summary of the paper] Quine is not dismissing our preference for simpler theories, but just very nicely inviting us to focus of aspects about which we should be cautious.
Related Ideas
Idea 6805 Relativity ousted Newtonian mechanics despite a loss of simplicity [Bird]
Idea 15283 Simplicity can sort theories out, but still leaves an infinity of possibilities [Harré/Madden]