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“The New Century Cyclopedia of Names.”
‘Occam’s razor,’ or ‘keep it simple, stupid’
Each week hundreds of people call or visit the San Marcos Public Library to find information. "Answers•To•Go" highlights recently received questions. Please visit the library at 625 East Hopkins, call 393-8200 for information over the phone, or e-mail us through our web-page at www.ci.san-marcos.tx.us/library.htm.
Q. My favorite author, Diana Gabaldon, has a new book out. In it, there’s a brief reference to “Occam’s razor.” Could you help me find out what that means?
A. “The New Century Cyclopedia of Names” includes a brief explanation. I think ‘keep it simple, stupid’ is a modern, less elegant phrasing of this principle of logic.
Occam’s razor refers to the law of economy or parsimony in logic. As our source explains, “An argument must be shaved down to its absolutely essential and simplest terms.”
“The Encyclopedia of Philosophy” notes that Occam (or Ockham) was the most influential philosopher of the fourteenth century. He entered the Franciscan order at an early age and studied at Oxford.
Occam ran afoul of Pope John XXII in a dispute over the role of poverty in the Franciscan order. He was one of several Franciscan leaders who fled to Munich.
It is thought that Occam died in 1349, a victim of the Black Plague which took the lives of most of the intellectual leaders of northern Europe. Their loss played a major part in bringing about a cultural decline that lasted for more than a century.
I wouldn’t want any readers to draw the conclusion that Gabaldon writes about philosophy. Her time travel/historical fiction series began with “Outlander” which is set against a background of the Scottish struggle to bring the Stuarts back to the throne and overthrow the English in the 1740s.
Her newest book, “An Echo in the Bone” begins in the Revolutionary War period. One warning —Gabaldon’s books can be addictive. I recommend reading them in order starting with “Outlander.”
Q. I didn’t finish high school, and I’m having trouble getting work. I’d like to get my GED. Do you still have GED classes? How long will it take to get my GED?
A. Yes, the library does have free GED classes. Your first step is to come to an information session. Four sessions are planned. If a morning session works best for you, come on Tuesday, Jan. 12 or Thursday, Jan. 21 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. If you prefer evenings, you may come on Thursday, Jan.14 or Tuesday, Jan. 26 from 7 to 8 p.m.
You’ll return early in February for a registration and assessment session. Once you’ve completed the assessment process, you’ll have a better idea of how long it will take you to finish.
Most students need to attend classes to build their skills before they are ready to take the official tests. Some find their assessment indicates they are ready to take practice tests in a few of the five official GED subject areas without much preparation. The practice tests are good indicators of readiness for the official test.
Our GED and English language classes are a joint program of the San Marcos Public Library and Community Action, Inc. of Hays, Caldwell and Blanco Counties.
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