History:
A first principle is a proposition or an assumption on which true knowledge is based. In science, theories, methods, and laws are derived from first principles. Axioms and postulates are the first principles in mathematics.
Thinking from first principles isn’t a new or a groundbreaking idea. In reality, it has always been a dominant mode of thinking among all great scientists and philosophers. For a while now, it’s probably the most consistent factor among great thinkers. One in particular who has practiced it in early times is Aristotle.He was a prolific organizer who believed that everything could be divided further into several categories and subcategories. This smallest subcategory which cannot be divided further would be known as first principle. He was also one of the first empiricists, an empiricist is someone who believes in the fact that all the knowledge one absorbs is through personal experience.As one of the major contributors to the field of biology, it makes sense that Aristotle was indeed a first principle thinker. He would dissect animals to gather real world knowledge and then would organize and categorize this information. This overall cycle of seeking knowledge through experience and using reason to give it a structure is what first principle is all about.Aristotle thus believed that we couldn’t understand true knowledge unless we understood these principles.
“In every systematic inquiry (methods) where there are first principles, or causes, or elements, knowledge and science result from acquiring knowledge of these; for we think we know something just in case we acquire knowledge of the primary causes, the primary first principles, all the way to the elements”
– Aristotle
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Final Thoughts:
I’m sure all of you have heard about Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, that evolution had three main components: that variation occurred randomly among species; that an individual’s trait could be inherited by its progeny; and that the struggle for existence would allow only those with favorable traits to survive. This seems fitting here since the world as we know is ever changing, back in the 40s no one would have thought that most jobs today will be replaced by computer and artificial intelligence, and again, no one knows what the human population beholds 20 years after. Survival thus becomes crucial in a fast paced environment, new skills are generated every day which we are not taught in schools or colleges for that matter.But if one knows the concept of first principle thinking, these can again be broken down into basic fundamentals to understand what the skill is all about and how one can learn the same, thus keeping up with the society.
This is what inspires us and keeps us striving for more at LearnQ. We believe that first principles is one of the most critical and basic factors which an individual should have, and have embarked on a journey to make it accessible and affordable to everyone thus making the next generation of human capital analytical, data-driven, critical thinker, innovative and risk taking. At LearnQ, we have vetted, interviewed and trained our educators to impart first-principles thinking and question-led teaching methodology to all our students.
Head on to our page to learn more on how we are making a difference and creating a positive impact in society.