The Pocket Guide to World History

Occam, William. c1280-1349. English Franciscan Nominalist philosopher. “Science is about things, philosophy about terms and concepts”. Occam’s razor: “It is vain to do with more, what can be done with fewer” (Science or Logic). Incompatibility of knowledge and faith, 1332. Opposed Aquinas Aristotelian realism. “Universal ideas exist only in the mind”. Influenced Reformation. [Read more ...]