Editing 2541: Occam

{{comic
| number    = 2541
| date      = November 12, 2021
| title     = Occam
| image     = occam.png
| titletext = Oh no, Murphy just picked up the razor.
}}

==Explanation==
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This comic conflates three conceptual approaches. {{w|Occam's Razor}}, the {{w|Barber paradox}} and {{w|Murphy's Law}}.

Occam's Razor suggests that explanations should not postulate more entities than necessary. It is often phrased as "the simplest explanation is usually correct". In philosophy a '{{w|Philosophical razor|razor}}' is a principle that conceptually cuts away alternative explanations.

The Barber Paradox is derived from {{w|Russell's paradox}}, which relates to a set of concepts that may contain itself within it. The Barber's paradox regards a town where only the barber is permitted to shave all men (presumably with a physical razor rather than a metaphysical one) in his town who do not shave themselves. The paradox is whether the barber does or does not shave himself. 

Megan invokes Occam's Razor with the words "the simplest explanation" as well as Occam's name, and goes on to propose a solution to who shaves the barber. (Her proposal does not resolve the paradox, as someone other than the barber would shave someone who doesn't shave himself.).

The titletext invokes Murphy's Law: the expectation that if anything can go wrong it will. Shaving with a {{w|Straight razor|cut-throat razor}} has failure modes including one explained by this name.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[One panel.  Megan and Cueball walking.]

Megan: The simplest explanation is that Occam shaves the barber.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Logic]]
[[Category: Philosophy]]