The Concept Of Thinking In First Principles

The basis from which a thing is known - Aristotle (on First Principles)

While researching this topic of First Principles, I was able to make an observation about myself which I would have otherwise not been able to make. That is, I was always conditioned on being taught ‘why’ to think in a certain way, and very rarely taught ‘how’ to think or ‘what’ was the reason to do something. Life was just so instructional that the mind application was not needed in the formative years.

This conditioning is a result of external and internal factors that have influenced my life in a small or large way but more importantly, I have allowed it to play a passive role in limiting my thought process over the years. As you read on, you will be able to relate to my concluding introduction to this piece.

What are First Principles?

First Principles is a basic proposition or assumption that cannot be deduced from any other proposition or assumption. In layman terms, it is the method of thinking which requires you to break down the problem or issue to its basic foundation. To the point where the thought or idea is completely pure, i.e. a place where assumptions are not required or do not work.

A very popular story that encompasses this concept is of Elon Musk and SpaceX. Elon has been a great ambassador of First Principles Thinking. In 2002 when Musk wanted to begin working on sending a rocket to Mars, he was faced with a challenge big enough to shatter that thought process almost immediately. To send a rocket to Mars, you first need a rocket. So Musk decided to go shopping for one of the most expensive machines money can buy and soon discovered that the cost for one of those machines can go up to 65 million dollars. Around this point, this is what he said on what his next move was and how he came to think of it.

“I tend to approach things from a physics framework,” Musk said in an interview. “Physics teaches you to reason from first principles rather than by analogy. So I said, okay, let’s look at the first principles. What is a rocket made of? Aerospace-grade aluminum alloys, plus some titanium, copper, and carbon fiber. Then I asked, what is the value of those