Opinion by
Columnist
Dec. 11, 2020 at 4:11 p.m. PST
If William of Occam, medieval philosopher, were transported by time-travel to the present moment, he might not find everything to be unfamiliar. Much of his career was devoted to one of the epic election disputes of all time, King Louis of Bavaria pitted against Pope John XXII over control of the Holy Roman Empire — a battle that raged across Europe in the 14th century and echoes to this day in one of humanity’s great works of art, Dante’s “Divine Comedy.”
William’s enduring contribution is the logical principle that bears his name, Occam’s razor, which cuts keenly into today’s election controversy. He teaches that the simplest explanation that fits observable facts is probably the nearest to the truth.
In his plain Franciscan tunic, William steps from his time capsule into 2020, razor in hand, and applies himself to the available facts. For more than four years, the political scene has been dominated by a rare genius of publicity, an attention hog whose personality Americans find almost uniquely compelling. Enrapturing supporters and enraging critics, the incumbent president has stoked such passions that many consider his reelection bid to be among the most important elections in U.S. history. Billions of dollars have been raised and spent to maximize voting. More votes are counted than ever before.
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Two explanations are offered to old William to explain the numbers. One is that the intensity of publicity and depth of passions drove record participation. The other is that the U.S. Postal Service engaged in a widespread conspiracy to steal ballots and sell them to co-conspirators who filled them out using fake identities and delivered them inside food trucks to counting stations. The FBI and Justice Department know all about it, but are covering it up.
Hmm, says William after a brief contemplation. The first explanation seems a good deal simpler — and thus more likely.
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