Fridolin Gross (Universität Kassel)
Occam's razor refers to the idea that among competing but equally successful explanations the simplest should be preferred, but there are different ways in which this principle has been understood and defended. Recently, systems biologists have argued that the approach of molecular biology is misguided because it relies on the unjustified application of Occam's razor. I analyze which version of the principle is relevant in this context and ask whether the allegation stands up to scrutiny by looking at actual research practices in molecular biology and whether approaches in systems biology really do rely less on considerations of simplicity.
