First principle
A first principle is something that cannot be deduced from anything. Different fields have slightly different names for this (i.e., math calls those axioms or postulates).
It is important to state that this is relative to a closed system. Let's take the following as an example:
- All men are mortal
- Socrates is a man
- Socrates is mortal
1 and 2 are first principles and 3 is deduced from 1 and 2. However, if we expand the context, we can deduce the first items using other points of reference.
This concept was popularized by Elon Musk, who used it to explain how he approaches issues. In a way, it's valuable advice, but one must proceed with caution, since this also illustrates that notion from the tech sector that it can solve anything, thus ignoring the inherent complexity of other fields.
References: “First Principle.” In Wikipedia, October 25, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=First_principle&oldid=1051761405.