Hanlon's razor

Template:Use dmy dates Template:Short description Hanlon's razor is an adage, or rule of thumb, that states:<ref name=murphytwo/> Template:Quote It is a philosophical razor that suggests a way of eliminating unlikely explanations for human behavior. It is purportedly named after one Robert J. Hanlon,<ref name="JargonFile2002"/> who submitted the statement to Murphy's Law Book Two: More Reasons Why Things Go Wrong! (1980).<ref name=murphytwo/> Similar statements have been recorded since at least the 18th century.

Origin

The adage was a submission credited in print to Robert J. Hanlon of Scranton, Pennsylvania,<ref name="JargonFile2002"/> in a compilation of various jokes related to Murphy's law published in Arthur Bloch's Murphy's Law Book Two: More Reasons Why Things Go Wrong! (1980).<ref name=murphytwo>Template:Cite book (search result in archive.org)</ref>

A similar quotation appears in Robert A. Heinlein's novella Logic of Empire (1941).<ref name="JargonFile1996">Template:Cite web</ref> The character Doc in the story describes the "devil theory" fallacy, explaining, "You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply result from stupidity."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Hanlon's razor became well known after its inclusion in the Jargon File, a glossary of computer programmer slang, in 1990.<ref name=jargon>Template:Cite web</ref> Later that year, the Jargon File editors noted lack of knowledge of the term's derivation and the existence of a similar epigram by William James, although this was possibly intended as a reference to William James Laidlay.<ref name=quoteinvestigator>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1996, the Jargon File entry on Hanlon's Razor noted the existence of the phrase in Heinlein's novella, with speculation that Hanlon's Razor might be a corruption of "Heinlein's Razor".<ref name="JargonFile1996"/> The link to Murphy's law was described in a pair of 2001 blog entries by Quentin Stafford-Fraser, citing emails from Joseph E. Bigler.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2002, the Jargon File entry noted the same.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Jargon File now calls it a "Murphyism".<ref name="JargonFile2002">Template:Cite web</ref>

The name was inspired by Occam's razor.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Variations

Grey's law (a humorous parallel to Arthur C. Clarke's 3rd law): Template:Quote

Douglas W. Hubbard quoted Hanlon's razor and added "a clumsier but more accurate corollary": Template:Quote

A variation appears in The Wheels of Chance (1896) by H. G. Wells:

A similar quote is also misattributed to Napoleon.<ref name=shan>Template:Cite web</ref> Andrew Roberts, in his biography of Winston Churchill, quotes from Churchill's correspondence with King George VI in February 1943 regarding disagreements with Charles de Gaulle: "His insolence ... may be founded on stupidity rather than malice."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Reference page

See also

• Template:Slink
• Finagle's law
• Principle of charity
• Sturgeon's law
• List of eponymous laws

Literature

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