Simplicity

Simplicity is the property, condition, or quality of being simple or un-combined. It often denotes beauty, purity or clarity. Simple things are usually easier to explain and understand than complicated ones. Simplicity can mean freedom from hardship, effort or confusion. It may also refer to a simple living lifestyle.

Quotes

"Simplicity means the achievement of maximum effect with minimum means." — Koichi Kawana, architect of botanical gardens
"Things should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." — Albert Einstein (1879–1955)
"You can always recognize truth by its beauty and simplicity." — Richard Feynman (1918–1988)
"Our lives are frittered away by detail; simplify, simplify." — Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." — Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519)
"If you can't describe it simply, you can't use it simply." — Anon
"Simplicity of character is the natural result of profound thought." — Unknown

Books

Craig, E. Ed. (1998) Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. London, Routledge. simplicity (in Scientific Theory) p.780-783
Dancy, J. and Ernest Sosa, Ed.(1999) A Companion to Epistemology. Malden, Massachusetts, Blackwell Publishers Inc. simplicity p. 477-479.
Edwards, P., Ed. (1967). The Encyclopedia of Philosophy. New York, The Macmillan Company. simplicity p.445-448.
Kim, J. a. E. S., Ed.(2000). A Companion to Metaphysics. Oxford, Blackwell Publishers. simplicity, parsimony p.461-462.
Newton-Smith, W. H., Ed. (2001). A Companion to the Philosophy of Science. Malden, Massachusetts, Blackwell Publishers Ltd. simplicity p.433-441.
Sarkar, S. Ed. (2002). The Philosophy of Science--An Encyclopedia. London, Routledge. simplicity
Wilson, R. A. a. K., Frank C., (1999). The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences. Cambridge, Massachusetts, The MIT Press. parsimony and simplicity p.627-629.