About Walter Chatton
Lived 1285 – 1343 (aged 57–58). Walter Chatton was a British philosopher.
Walter Chatton (c. 1290–1343) was an English Scholastic theologian and philosopher who regularly sparred philosophically with William of Ockham, who is well known for Occam's razor.
Chatton proposed an "anti-razor". From his Lectura I d. 3, q. 1, a. 1:
Whenever an affirmative proposition is apt to be verified for actually existing things, if two things, howsoever they are present according to arrangement and duration, cannot suffice for the verification of the proposition while another thing is lacking, then one must posit that other thing.
In basic terms, he was arguing against Ockham's razor by stating that if an explanation does not satisfactorily determine the truth of a proposition, and you are sure that the explanation so far is true, some other explanation must be required.
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Important facts
People in Walter Chatton's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Walter Chatton's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Walter Chatton?
British philosopher
When was Walter Chatton born?
Walter Chatton was born in 1285.
When did Walter Chatton die?
Walter Chatton died in 1343 in Avignon.
What was Walter Chatton's occupation?
Walter Chatton was a philosopher.
What nationality was Walter Chatton?
Walter Chatton was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Walter Chatton. https://biography.guide/walter-chatton/
MLA: "Walter Chatton." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/walter-chatton/.
Chicago: "Walter Chatton." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/walter-chatton/.
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