Never increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything.
William Of OckhamRead
God's existence cannot be deduced by reason alone.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The existence of God cannot be proven merely through logical reasoning.
William of Ockham suggests that rational thought and logical deduction are insufficient to establish the existence of God. This implies a limit to human understanding and reasoning in spiritual matters, indicating that faith or personal experience might play a significant role in such beliefs.
Themes
GodExistenceReasonFaithPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophical debate on the nature of belief and existence.
More from William Of Ockham
All quotes βSimilar quotes
Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet.
Napoleon BonaparteRead
But myth is something else than an explanation of the world, of history, and of destiny. Myth expresses in terms of the world - that is, of the other world or the second world - the understanding that man has of himself in relation to the foundation and the limit of his existence. Hence to demythologize is to interpret myth, that is, to relate the objective representations of the myth to the self-understanding which is both shown and concealed in it.
Paul RicoeurRead
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Lord ActonRead
Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set.
Francis BaconRead
What if someone gave a war and Nobody came?
Allen GinsbergRead
Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines.
Enzo FerrariRead