Scotus and Ockham

John Duns Scotus (1265-1308), a Scottish philosopher, was a typical scholastic in that he held reason to be subordinate to faith. He asserted that, contrary to Aquinas' rational philosophy, God's Will is predominant over His Reason. The main implication of Dun Scotus' thought was that observation is more useful than deduction in understanding God's universe.

The divine will is the cause of good, and so by the fact that God wills-something it is good.
- John Duns Scotus

William of Ockham (1285-1349), an Englishman, was famous for his principle. called "Ockham's Razor," which said "Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity." This means that the simplest theory that fits the facts is the best, and is directed against the proliferation of concepts (universals) in Aquinas' philosophy. Ockham was a "nominalist."

What can be explained on fewer principles is explained needlessly by more.
- William of Ockham