El Peor FRAUDE de la Historia de la Filosofía 😱

About this video

• Video Title: El Peor FRAUDE de la Historia de la Filosofía 😱
• Channel: Adictos a la Filosofía
• Speakers: L (Interlocutor)
• Duration: 00:08:41

Overview

This video debunks the common attribution of the "Ockham's Razor" principle to William of Ockham, revealing that the principle of favoring simpler explanations predates him and can be traced back to ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle. The speaker explains the principle itself, its application in science and philosophy, and traces its historical evolution through various philosophers, ultimately arguing that Aristotle is the true origin of this concept.

Key takeaways

• Ockham's Razor is not originally Ockham's: The popular principle of "entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity" is commonly attributed to William of Ockham, but this specific phrasing is not found in his works and the idea predates him.
• The principle of simplicity: Ockham's Razor is a methodological principle that, under equal conditions, prioritizes the simplest hypothesis. However, complexity is acceptable if it provides greater explanatory power (e.g., dark matter explaining galaxy movements).
• Historical roots: The principle of favoring simpler explanations was already in use by medieval scholastics like Duns Scotus and Thomas Aquinas, and even earlier by Aristotle, who used it in various arguments.
• Aristotle as the originator: The video suggests that Aristotle, in works like "Posterior Analytics" and "De Caelo," is the earliest known proponent of this principle, using it to argue for fewer postulates or hypotheses when explaining phenomena.
• Evolution of the term: The principle was later associated with nominalists, then called "the razor of the nominalists" by Condillac, and finally "Ockham's Razor" by William Hamilton in the 19th century.