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Richard Swinburne on Simplicity in Natural Science

Richard Swinburne on Simplicity in Natural Science Goldsmiths College, University of London Richard Swinburne has, over the last two decades, built up what must count as one of the most fully developed philosophico-theological systems of the twentieth century. Its main unifying structural element is the claim ‘Simplex sigillum veri’ (‘the simple is the sign of the true’); Swinburne stresses ‘the enormous … not always appreciated … importance of the criterion of simplicity’, and declares it to be ‘a dominant theme’ of The Existence of God (EG1 55–6). It is said to be ‘the crucial element determining prior probability’ (EG 82, cf. 90) in natural science, because ‘the simpler a theory the greater its prior probability’ (EG 281). The claim has been repeated up to the present (e.g., FR 13ff., 38ff., CG 126, 155, 167, 170; ITG 30–1) with the most extensive account in the Evolution of the Soul, in which Swinburne writes: ‘One can construct an infinite number of different theories compatible with [any] collection of data. Choices among such theories is determined by the Principle of Simplicity. Among such theories we take the simplest one as that most likely to be true’ (ES 13). It is conceded that ‘any theory constructed from data by http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The Heythrop Journal Wiley

Richard Swinburne on Simplicity in Natural Science

The Heythrop Journal , Volume 40 (2) – Apr 1, 1999

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Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
The Editor/Blackwell Publishers Ltd 1999
ISSN
0018-1196
eISSN
1468-2265
DOI
10.1111/1468-2265.00101
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Goldsmiths College, University of London Richard Swinburne has, over the last two decades, built up what must count as one of the most fully developed philosophico-theological systems of the twentieth century. Its main unifying structural element is the claim ‘Simplex sigillum veri’ (‘the simple is the sign of the true’); Swinburne stresses ‘the enormous … not always appreciated … importance of the criterion of simplicity’, and declares it to be ‘a dominant theme’ of The Existence of God (EG1 55–6). It is said to be ‘the crucial element determining prior probability’ (EG 82, cf. 90) in natural science, because ‘the simpler a theory the greater its prior probability’ (EG 281). The claim has been repeated up to the present (e.g., FR 13ff., 38ff., CG 126, 155, 167, 170; ITG 30–1) with the most extensive account in the Evolution of the Soul, in which Swinburne writes: ‘One can construct an infinite number of different theories compatible with [any] collection of data. Choices among such theories is determined by the Principle of Simplicity. Among such theories we take the simplest one as that most likely to be true’ (ES 13). It is conceded that ‘any theory constructed from data by

Journal

The Heythrop JournalWiley

Published: Apr 1, 1999

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