What did William Ockham believe?
Throughout his career, Ockham remained a fideist, convinced that belief in God is a matter of faith alone. Against the scholastic mainstream, he insisted that theology is not a science and rejected all the alleged proofs of the existence of God.
What was William of Ockham known for?
He is commonly known for Occam’s razor, the methodological principle that bears his name, and also produced significant works on logic, physics, and theology. William is remembered in the Church of England with a commemoration on 10 April.
Why was William of Ockham excommunicated?
But in 1328 it was controversy over his political writings that forced him to flee Avignon, France, to escape the reach of Pope John XXII. He fled to Munich with Michael de Cesena, and was protected there by Emperor Ludwig of Bavaria. In response to his departure, John XXII excommunicated Ockham.
Who did William of Ockham influence?
Traditionally regarded as the initiator of the movement called nominalism, which dominated the universities of northern Europe in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and played a significant role in shaping the directions of modern thought, William of Ockham ranks, with Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus, as one of the …
When was William of Ockham born?
1285William of Ockham / Date of birth
What did William of Ockham study?
Ockham’s early schooling in a Franciscan convent concentrated on the study of logic; throughout his career, his interest in logic never waned, because he regarded the science of terms as fundamental and indispensable for practicing all the sciences of things, including God, the world, and ecclesiastical or civil …
Why is it called Occam’s razor?
The one with the fewer number of moving parts, so to speak, is most likely to be correct. The idea is always to cut out extra unnecessary bits, hence the name “razor.” An example will help illustrate this.
When did William of Ockham live?
1285 – April 10, 1347William of Ockham / Years of Living
What does Occam’s razor refer to?
Occam’s razor is a principle of theory construction or evaluation according to which, other things equal, explanations that posit fewer entities, or fewer kinds of entities, are to be preferred to explanations that posit more.
Why is it called Occams razor?