If you have a stuffy nose, a fever, chills, and body aches and a doctor treats you for the flu rather than four separate diseases that account for each of your symptoms, this is an application of:
A) Newton's hypothesis
B) Occam's razor
C) Aristotle's test
D) Einstein's relativity
E) Copernican principle

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an application of Occam's razor, which states that among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected. In this case, the hypothesis that the symptoms are caused by the flu requires fewer assumptions than the hypothesis that they are caused by four separate diseases.

If You Have a Stuffy Nose, a Fever, Chills, and Body