Full Idea
Our acceptance of ontology is similar in principle to our acceptance of a scientific theory; we adopt the simplest conceptual scheme into which the disordered fragments of raw experience can be fitted and arranged.
Gist of Idea
An ontology is like a scientific theory; we accept the simplest scheme that fits disorderly experiences
Source
Willard Quine (On What There Is [1948], p.16)
Book Reference
Quine,Willard: 'From a Logical Point of View' [Harper and Row 1963], p.16
A Reaction
Quine (who says he likes 'desert landscapes') is the modern hero for anyone who loves Ockham's Razor, and seeks extreme simplicity. And yet he finds himself committed to the existence of sets to achieve this.