Editing First principle (section)

{{Short description|Basic proposition or assumption}}
In [[philosophy]] and [[science]], a '''first principle''' is a basic [[proposition]] or [[axiom|assumption]] that cannot be deduced from any other proposition or assumption. First principles in philosophy are from [[first cause]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=First cause |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/first-cause |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> attitudes and taught by [[Aristotelianism|Aristotelians]], and nuanced versions of first principles are referred to as [[postulate]]s by [[Kantian]]s.<ref>Vernon Bourke, ''Ethics'', (New York: The Macmillan Co., 1966), 14.</ref>

In [[mathematics]] and [[formal logic]], first principles are referred to as [[axiom]]s or postulates. In [[physics]] and other sciences, theoretical work is said to be from first principles, or ''[[ab initio]]'', if it starts directly at the level of established science and does not make assumptions such as empirical model and parameter fitting. "First principles thinking" consists of decomposing things down to the fundamental [[axiom]]s in the given arena, before reasoning up by asking which ones are relevant to the question at hand, then cross referencing conclusions based on chosen axioms and making sure conclusions do not violate any fundamental laws. [[Physicist]]s include counterintuitive concepts with [[iteration|reiteration]].