I can't recall precisely when I first heard the expression Occam's Razor. You'd think I came across it in one of my philosophy classes in college, though actually I believe I first heard it from my mom. It's meaning used to be common knowledge amongst educated folks, I believe.
I looked that up, but what I remember is something like this: when you’re faced with competing explanations for something, the simplest one is usually your best bet. Here's a practical example.
When your car won't start the first thing is to check the battery rather than assume a rare engine defect and a fuel line issue and a cosmic ray interference all hit at once. The idea is to start with what’s most straightforward and only complicate the explanation if evidence demands it. It’s a tool for reasoning, not a hard rule, and it’s been influential in science, philosophy, and even everyday decision-making. It's a mix of logic, common sense and experience.
I bring this up because today in my mornng reading I saw a reference to Hitchens' Razor. I thought, "Hmm, I wonder what that is?" And I also wondered if it were some old time concept from some Hitchens of the past (like the Occam example) or the contemporary Brit journalist. As it turns out, it's the latter.
Hitchens' Razor is a philosophical principle that states "What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence."
In other words, if someone makes a claim but doesn’t back it up with proof, you’re free to reject it without needing to disprove it. It puts the burden of evidence on the person making the assertion, not the skeptic. Hitchens often used this in debates, especially on topics like religion, to challenge unbacked claims. It’s a sharp, no-nonsense way to cut through fluff and focus on what can actually be substantiated.
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