William Ockham was greatly inspired by Aristotelian philosophy and write on multiple scientific subjects, as well as logic and philosophy. He believed in using the evidence of observation and experience to derive rational arguments, what we know today as the ‘scientific method’. He did maintain a distinction between faith and his scientific thesis but was eventually excommunicated from the Church for his radical works.
His most noticeable work is what is known as Ockham’s razor: when there are two explanations for the same notion, equal by all means, the simpler account is more validated and likely to be correct. As the name suggests, it implies that we should shave off the complexities including factors and variables, and choose the simplest explanation. One of Ockham’s pupils, Jean Buridan, crafted his own paradox of choice between alternatives. Buridan’s ass is a hungry beast right in the middle of the two equally attractive bales of hay (explanations) and being unable to choose it eventually starves to death (the choice is impossible with no actual conclusion).
