William of Occam and Occam's razor.

Abstract

Letters16 April 2002William of Occam and Occam's RazorVincent Lo Re III, MD and Lisa M. Bellini, MDVincent Lo Re III, MDHospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Re, Bellini)Search for more papers by this author and Lisa M. Bellini, MDHospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Re, Bellini)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-136-8-200204160-00022 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Attributed to the 14th-century English philosopher and theologian William of Ockham (simplified to “Occam” by medieval spelling), Occam's razor is a logical device used by physicians to identify the single best cause of a patient's constellation of symptoms (1, 2). Most clinicians know very little about Occam and the origin of the principle that bears his name.William was born in 1285 in Ockham, England. As a youngster in the Franciscan order, he studied logic (3). Subsequently, he studied theology at Oxford University (3). He lectured on theological works, using his passion for logic to identify inconsistencies ...