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I agree. Definitely more a "Heinlein's Razor" variation on "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity".
by hartator 8y ago
I agree. Definitely more a "Heinlein's Razor" variation on "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity".
- SahAssar 8y ago*Hanlon's razor
- jwilk 8y agoBoth names are in use. From The Jargon File (http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/H/Hanlons-Razor.html http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/H/Hanlons-Razor.html): At http://www.statusq.org/2001/11/26.html http://www.statusq.org/2001/11/26.html it is claimed that Hanlon's Razor was coined by one Robert J. Hanlon of Scranton, PA. However, a curiously similar remark (“You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply result from stupidity.”) appears in Logic of Empire, a classic 1941 SF story by Robert A. Heinlein […].
- SahAssar 8y agoRight, but since most knowledge bases (including Jargon File, Wikipedia and others) use "Hanlon" as the main title, it seems easier and more understandable to go with that. I should have included that in my comment though.
- UpshotKnothole 8y agoThat’s Hanlon’s Razor, Heinlein’s is, “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity, but don’t rule out malice.” In both an element people often overlook is the keyword adequately. Sure anything can be attributed to stupidity, but in many cases it’s too beneficial to the “stupid” party and/or too persistent to be adequately explained by something other than malice.
- telchar 8y agoI call what you're referring to Hanlon's Safety Razor: Never attribute anything to malice. It seems like it deserves a name since in nearly any thread online involving a supposition of malice someone comes out of the woodwork with Hanlon's razor. PS: I think I had a better name for this in the past but have forgotten it.