Why Adopting Someone Else's Life View is a 'First Principle' Mistake

Deriving knowledge from?first principles?is essential for meaningful understanding. First principles are the fundamental concepts and axioms upon which all other knowledge is built.

They represent?irreducible truths that provide a foundation for?sound deductive reasoning?and conceptual frameworks.

Gaining knowledge by adopting the views of others denies us the opportunity to discover first principles for ourselves. We do not gain an understanding of the evidence and reasoning that underlies a claim from first-hand investigation.

Our knowledge remains second-hand rather than springing from our own direct experience and thoughtful reflection.

We must start from our own observations, insights and?moral intuitions?if we are to develop a clear view of first principles. Working honestly with facts and evidence allows us to form hypotheses and evaluate them without prejudice.

Through this process of thinking for ourselves, we improve our ability to reason and discern truth.

When we lack a foundation in first principles discovered through our own thinking, we have no solid basis for evaluating the viewpoints of others. We cannot determine if their claims align with reality, evidence or our own moral sense.

We are left accepting or rejecting ideas based on?superficial factors?rather than their underlying truth.

The ability to think for oneself and discover first principles is indispensable for?intellectual autonomy?and wisdom.