I humbly submit my very rough working list of First Principles. It is ironic that since Elon Musk said he thinks in first principles the Interwebs are all aquiver with folks publishing list that generally have nothing at all to do with fist principles – usually, their list do not comport the requirements of real first principles, which are:
- First principles are true
- First principles are necessarily true
- First principles are indemonstrable
And most importantly, generally these lists do not derive from First Causes.
The same thing cannot be affirmed and denied at the same time
Nothing comes from Nothing
There is/are a creator (G)god(s)
Natural Moral law exists and is written into the spirit of all men in all times
Imperfection Abounds
There exists a Transcendent Order
Social Continuity is Good
Variety is Good
No fear if you are reading the above and think I have become a transcendental theist or polytheist even. I personally believe in one God, the Christian God. My effort with this is to build philosophical proofs into a list of first principles that argue against atheism, secular humanism and metaphysical naturalism and to articulate the foundations that bias my opinions on other subjects. In fact from the above I infer:
Inferences, Deductions and Syllogisms
11. The God of the Bible is most likely the true God
- Aligns best with the Natural Moral law
- Historical evidence in support of Biblical narrative
- Provable accuracy and authenticity of the Biblical text
I. There is a God that created the universe (3 a.-d.), Christianity presents a system supported by evidence that aligns with natural law and is supported by reason, therefore, the God of the Bible and Christianity must be true.
II. The God of Christianity is God and the Creator of the Universe, the text of the Bible is provably accurate and authentic and states it is the word of God, therefore, the Bible must be an accurate testimony of God’s word.