The CRSS Credo
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William of Occam (also spelled
Ockham) was a Franciscan monk born in the village of Ockham in Surrey, England in 1285.
It is believed that he died in a convent in Munich, Germany in
1349 succumbing to the black plague. Known as the "Doctor
Invincibilis" (unconquerable doctor) he won fame as a rigorous
logician. His philosophy representing the principle of economy in
science came to be referred to as William of Occam’s "razor".
This rule which said that plurality should not be assumed without
necessity can be applied to medicine in modern terms as "it is
needless to do more when less will suffice". As Isadore Tarlov
M.D., neurosurgeon, pointed out in his text The Principle of
Parsimony in Medicine (Charles C. Thomas: Springfield IL,
1969): "What we have not generally done in medical practice,
even in the twentieth century, is to use Occam’s razor as wisely
and effectively as Copernicus used it in the sixteenth century".
This reference regards the brilliant application by this Greek
philosopher who "reduced the number of circles required to
explain the apparent movement of the heavens to thirty-four
from the eighty or so used by Ptolemy".
A primary goal of the Center for Restorative Spine Surgery is to
assist in reintroducing William of Occam's Razor as an important
value for our present health care system in general and spine
surgery in particular. Another essential element is to decrease
the continued high failure rate of spine surgery.
It is believed that he died in a convent in Munich, Germany in
1349 succumbing to the black plague. Known as the "Doctor
Invincibilis" (unconquerable doctor) he won fame as a rigorous
logician. His philosophy representing the principle of economy in
science came to be referred to as William of Occam’s "razor".
This rule which said that plurality should not be assumed without
necessity can be applied to medicine in modern terms as "it is
needless to do more when less will suffice". As Isadore Tarlov
M.D., neurosurgeon, pointed out in his text The Principle of
Parsimony in Medicine (Charles C. Thomas: Springfield IL,
1969): "What we have not generally done in medical practice,
even in the twentieth century, is to use Occam’s razor as wisely
and effectively as Copernicus used it in the sixteenth century".
This reference regards the brilliant application by this Greek
philosopher who "reduced the number of circles required to
explain the apparent movement of the heavens to thirty-four
from the eighty or so used by Ptolemy".
A primary goal of the Center for Restorative Spine Surgery is to
assist in reintroducing William of Occam's Razor as an important
value for our present health care system in general and spine
surgery in particular. Another essential element is to decrease
the continued high failure rate of spine surgery.
| William of Occam |
| The CREDO of the Center for Restorative Spine Surgery Was Originally Expressed by William of Occam |
| "It Is Needless To Do More When Less Will Suffice" |