William of Ockham quotes

William of Ockham was an English Franciscan friar, philosopher, and theologian, famous for formulating the principle known as "Ockham's Razor." His work challenged established scholastic thought and emphasized simplicity in explanation. He remains influential in philosophy, logic, and the history of science. Here are 15 of his quotes:

It is pointless to do with more what can be done with fewer. (William of Ockham)
Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity. View quote
William of Ockham
Plurality is never to be posited without necessity. View quote
William of Ockham
The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct. View quote
William of Ockham
Intuitive cognition is such that when some things are cognized, of which one inheres in the other, or one is spatially distant from the other, or exists in some relation to the other, immediately in virtue of that non-propositional cognition of those things, it is known if the thing inheres or does not inhere, if it is spatially distant or not, and the same for other true contingent propositions, unless that cognition is flawed or there is some impediment. View quote
William of Ockham
With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one. View quote
William of Ockham
Purely philosophical assertions which do not pertain to theology should not be solemnly condemned or forbidden by anyone, because in connection with such [assertions] anyone at all ought to be free to say freely what pleases him. View quote
William of Ockham
Logic is the most useful tool of all the arts. Without it no science can be fully known. View quote
William of Ockham
It is on account of theology alone that any assertion whatsoever should be called catholic or heretical. View quote
William of Ockham
Keep things simple. View quote
William of Ockham
The head of Christians does not, as a rule, have power to punish secular wrongs with a capital penalty and other bodily penalties and it is for thus punishing such wrongs that temporal power and riches are chiefly necessary; such punishment is granted chiefly to the secular power. (William of Ockham)
You see that I have set out opposing assertions in response to your question and I have touched on quite strong arguments in support of each position. Therefore consider now which seems the more probable to you. View quote
William of Ockham
The Holy Spirit through blessed John the evangelist makes a terrible threat against those who add anything to or take anything from divine scripture when he says in the last chapter of Revelations [22:18–9], "If any man shall add to these things, God shall add unto him the plagues which are in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city, and from these things that are written in this book." View quote
William of Ockham
Never increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything. View quote
William of Ockham
The head of Christians does not, as a rule, have power to punish secular wrongs with a capital penalty and other bodily penalties and it is for thus punishing such wrongs that temporal power and riches are chiefly necessary; such punishment is granted chiefly to the secular power. The pope therefore, can, as a rule, correct wrongdoers only with a spiritual penalty. It is not, therefore, necessary that he should excel in temporal power or abound in temporal riches, but it is enough that Christians should willingly obey him. View quote
William of Ockham