The degree of confirmation assigned to any given hypothesis is sensitive to properties of the entire belief system … simplicity, plausibility, and conservatism are properties that theories have in virtue of their relation to the whole structure of scientific beliefs taken collectively. A measure of conservatism or simplicity would be a metric over global properties of belief systems.

p. 107–108 as cited in: Philip Robbins, "Modularity of Mind", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.) - Modularity of Mind (1983)

Modularity of Mind (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)[plato.stanford.edu]