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How did William of Ockham state the principle known as Occamâs razor in Latin?
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William of Ockham
English theologian and philosopher William of Ockham, detail from a stained-glass window, c. 1985; in All Saints' Church, Ockham, Surrey, England.
The principle known as Occamâs razor, attributed to the Scholastic philosopher William of Ockham, is stated in Latin as:
Pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate12
This phrase translates to "plurality should not be posited without necessity." While Ockham is famously associated with this principle due to his frequent and sharp application of it, it is important to note that he was not the first to propose the concept; it had been articulated earlier by other thinkers, such as Durandus of Saint-Pourçain and John Duns Scotus.12