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Simplicity

Simplicity is the property, condition, or quality of being simple or un-combined. It often denotes beauty, purity or clarity. Simple things are usually easier to explain and understand than complicated ones. Simplicity can mean freedom from hardship, effort or confusion. It may also refer to a simple living lifestyle. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikiquote is a sister project of Wikipedia, using the same MediaWiki software. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Simple living (or voluntary simplicity) is a lifestyle individuals may pursue for a variety of motivations, such as spirituality, health, or ecology. ...

According to Occam's razor, all other things being equal, the simplest theory is the most likely to be true — hence the importance of the concept of simplicity in epistemology. According to Thomas Aquinas, God is infinitely simple. William of Ockham Occams razor (sometimes spelled Ockhams razor) is a principle attributed to the 14th-century English logician and Franciscan friar William of Ockham. ... It has been suggested that Meta-epistemology be merged into this article or section. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas (also Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino; c. ... In theology, the doctrine of divine simplicity says that God is without parts. ...

Members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) practice the Testimony of Simplicity, which is the simplifying of one's life in order to focus on things that are most important and disregard or avoid things that are least important.-1... The Testimony of Simplicity is the Quaker belief that a person ought to live his or her life simply in order to focus on what is most important and ignore or play down what is least important. ...

In MCS cognition theory, simplicity is the property of a domain which requires very little information to be exhaustively described. The opposite of simplicity is complexity. Complexity in general usage is the opposite of simplicity. ...

Simplicity in the philosophy of science

Simplicity is a meta-scientific criterion by which to evaluate competing theories. See also Occam's Razor and references. The similar concept of Parsimony is also used in philosophy of science, that is the explanation of a phenomenon which is the least involved is held to have superior value to a more involved one. William of Ockham Occams razor (sometimes spelled Ockhams razor) is a principle attributed to the 14th-century English logician and Franciscan friar William of Ockham. ... Look up parsimony in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Quotes

• "Simplicity means the achievement of maximum effect with minimum means." — Koichi Kawana, architect of botanical gardens
• "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." — Albert Einstein (1879–1955)
• "Simple things should be simple. Complex things should be possible." — Alan Kay
• "You can always recognize truth by its beauty and simplicity." — Richard Feynman (1918–1988)
• "Our lives are frittered away by detail; simplify, simplify." — Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
• "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." — Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519)
• "If you can't describe it simply, you can't use it simply." — Anon
• "Simplicity of character is the natural result of profound thought." — William Hazlitt

An architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect is a person who is involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction. ... Inside the United States Botanic Garden Botanical gardens grow a wide variety of plants both for scientific purposes and for the enjoyment and education of visitors. ... “Einstein” redirects here. ... Alan Curtis Kay (born May 17, 1940) is an American computer scientist, known for his early pioneering work on object-oriented programming and windowing graphical user interface design. ... Richard Phillips Feynman (May 11, 1918 – February 15, 1988; IPA: ) was an American physicist known for expanding the theory of quantum electrodynamics, the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, and particle theory. ... Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862; born David Henry Thoreau[1]) was an American author, naturalist, transcendentalist, tax resister, development critic, and philosopher who is best known for Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay, Civil Disobedience, an argument for individual resistance... The Mona Lisa Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian polymath: scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, musician, and writer. ... Anon is a very fat boy who eats a lot of hagoo and does no exercise at all. ... William Hazlitt (10 April 1778 – 18 September 1830) was an English writer remembered for his humanistic essays and literary criticism, often esteemed the greatest English literary critic after Samuel Johnson. ...

See also

• Complexity
• KISS principle
• Voluntary simplicity
• Occam's razor
• Simplicity Circle
• Testimony of Simplicity
• Worse is better

Complexity in general usage is the opposite of simplicity. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Voluntary simplicity (or simple living) is a lifestyle considered by its adherents to be a sustainable, ecologically sensitive alternative to the typical, western consumerist lifestyle. ... William of Ockham Occams razor (sometimes spelled Ockhams razor) is a principle attributed to the 14th-century English logician and Franciscan friar William of Ockham. ... The Testimony of Simplicity is the Quaker belief that a person ought to live his or her life simply in order to focus on what is most important and ignore or play down what is least important. ... Worse is better, also called the New Jersey style, is the name of a computer software design approach (or design philosophy) in which simplicity of both interface and implementation is more important than any other system attribute (including correctness, consistency, and completeness). ...

References

• Craig, E. Ed. (1998) Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. London, Routledge. simplicity (in Scientific Theory) p.780-783
• Dancy, J. and Ernest Sosa, Ed.(1999) A Companion to Epistemology. Malden, Massachusetts, Blackwell Publishers Inc. simplicity p. 477-479.
• Edwards, P., Ed. (1967). The Encyclopedia of Philosophy. New York, The Macmillan Company. simplicity p.445-448.
• Kim, J. a. E. S., Ed.(2000). A Companion to Metaphysics. Oxford, Blackwell Publishers. simplicity, parsimony p.461-462.
• Newton-Smith, W. H., Ed. (2001). A Companion to the Philosophy of Science. Malden, Massachusetts, Blackwell Publishers Ltd. simplicity p.433-441.
• Sarkar, S. Ed. (2002). The Philosophy of Science--An Encyclopedia. London, Routledge. simplicity
• Wilson, R. A. a. K., Frank C., (1999). The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences. Cambridge, Massachusetts, The MIT Press. parsimony and simplicity p.627-629.

William Henry Newton-Smith (b. ...

External links

Look up Simplicity in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry
• Stanford SIMPLIcity image retrieval system, 1999.
• Extensive bibliography for simplicity in the philosophy of science
• Complexity vs. Simplicity
• Beyond Simplicity: Tough Issues For A New Era by Albert J. Fritsch, SJ, PhD
• "On Simple Theories Of A Complex World" by W. V. O. Quine
• Art of Simplicity teachings and writings by Claude R. Sheffield
• The Simplicity Cycle is a graphical exploration of the relationship between complexity, goodness and time.