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First Principles

Yesterday, I was having lunch with a Savio alum who keeps me updated on what's going on in her life. In the course of our discussion, it was brought up how strange it is that people who are rational human beings can have such completely opposite ideas when it comes to politics.
It's great when students still want to see you.


While a portion of the explanation can certainly come down to training in formal logic (which we don't do anymore in school), I think a bigger part is found in first principles. First principles are those founding ideas that we build our arguments and decisions upon. (There are other definitions, but this is what I'm sticking with today.) In order to enter into any rational discourse, a person should know where they stand on the fundamentals. I would suggest that the irrationality present in many of our political discussions today is due to the fact that we don't examine these deeply held beliefs. The argument is started higher up the chain and beliefs are often based on the personality of a specific person.


Here's a list of things that I think it is important to know (or at least have an idea of) in today's society. There may be more than one right answer, your answer might even ultimately be "wrong", but you should be clear on what you think the answer is.

  • What is the purpose of life?
  • Can I change who I fundamentally am?
  • What is the role of God (if any) in my life?
  • What is the moral responsibility (if any) of those who "have" to those who "have not"?
  • What is the purpose of work?
  • What is the purpose of obtaining wealth?
  • What is the function of government?
  • What is the purpose of the criminal justice system?
  • What is the goal of technology?
  • What is societal progress?
  • How do we know that we have achieved it?
  • What is success?
  • Does my definition of success apply for everyone in the world?
  • At what point (if ever) do the ends justify the means?
  • Is society strengthened more by conformity or diversity?
There's a lot more that I cannot think of right now, but everyone should know where they stand on at least these before entering into any debate.

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