Does Ockham’s razor matter to the problem of universals? - (2025)
Acessos: 19
Valdetonio Pereira de Alencar
Volume: 25 - Issue: 3
Resumo.
This paper investigates how Ockham’s Razor can be applied to compare and evaluate solutions to the Problem of Universals. Initially, I discuss three formulations of this principle. Two kinds of parsimony emerge from this debate: ontological and ideological parsimony. Concerning the Problem of Universals, there are three groups of solutions: Realism, Nominalism, and Trope Theory. Analyzing the most parsimonious theory of each, in terms of ontological and ideological parsimony, yields a negative evaluation of the Razor. Ontological and ideological parsimony are not useful for determining whether one solution to the Problem of Universals is superior to another.
Keywords: Ockham’s Razor; the Problem of Universals; Ontological Parsimony; Ideological Parsimony; Nominalism.
Idioma: English
Registro: 2026-06-26 19:23:41
https://periodicos.ufrb.edu.br/index.php/griot/article/view/5374