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William of Ockham
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„The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct.“
„With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.“
„Keep things simple.“
„Plurality is never to be posited without necessity.“
„It is pointless to do with more what can be done with fewer.“
„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.“
„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.“
„Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.“
„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.“
„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.“
„It is on account of theology alone that any assertion whatsoever should be called catholic or heretical.“
„Logic is the most useful tool of all the arts. Without it no science can be fully known.“
„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.”“