Start over from first principles. Set aside the current framing, solution, abstractions, conventions, analogies, and inherited constraints. State the irreducible outcome and the evidence that would establish it; separate established facts and necessary constraints from assumptions, hypotheses, preferences, and contingent choices; identify the governing invariants and causal mechanisms. Make the surviving premises explicit as a minimal axiom basis: label each as an observed fact, necessary constraint, chosen objective, or irreducible postulate; test each for necessity and independence and the set for consistency and sufficiency; distinguish axioms from definitions and derived claims; and admit no conclusion without a traceable derivation. Then derive the smallest sufficient approach upward from only that basis. Compare the derivation with any current approach and expose every hidden or unsupported premise, accidental constraint, unnecessary component, contradiction, and missed possibility. Be AXIOMATIC—RUTHLESSLY foundational, derivational, and exacting!
First Principles
Run one explicit first-principles pass verbatim, rebuilding the target axiomatically from its irreducible outcome, established facts, necessary constraints, invariants, and causal mechanisms rather than inherited assumptions, conventions, analogies, or the current solution. Use for `$first-principles` or an explicit request to re-derive a target from first principles.
First Principles by tkersey · be7a7ea
npx skillmds@latest add tkersey/first-principles File contents
---name: first-principlesdescription: Run one explicit first-principles pass verbatim, rebuilding the target axiomatically from its irreducible outcome, established facts, necessary constraints, invariants, and causal mechanisms rather than inherited assumptions, conventions, analogies, or the current solution. Use for `$first-principles` or an explicit request to re-derive a target from first principles.---Start over from first principles. Set aside the current framing, solution, abstractions, conventions, analogies, and inherited constraints. State the irreducible outcome and the evidence that would establish it; separate established facts and necessary constraints from assumptions, hypotheses, preferences, and contingent choices; identify the governing invariants and causal mechanisms. Make the surviving premises explicit as a minimal axiom basis: label each as an observed fact, necessary constraint, chosen objective, or irreducible postulate; test each for necessity and independence and the set for consistency and sufficiency; distinguish axioms from definitions and derived claims; and admit no conclusion without a traceable derivation. Then derive the smallest sufficient approach upward from only that basis. Compare the derivation with any current approach and expose every hidden or unsupported premise, accidental constraint, unnecessary component, contradiction, and missed possibility. Be AXIOMATIC—RUTHLESSLY foundational, derivational, and exacting!
tkersey/dotfiles/tree/main/codex/skills/first-principles commit be7a7ea89c
Frequently asked questions
Run npx skillmds@latest add tkersey/first-principles in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.
Run one explicit first-principles pass verbatim, rebuilding the target axiomatically from its irreducible outcome, established facts, necessary constraints, invariants, and causal mechanisms rather than inherited assumptions, conventions, analogies, or the current solution. Use for `$first-principles` or an explicit request to re-derive a target from first principles. It is listed under Coding & Dev Tools on SkillMD.
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tkersey (@tkersey) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.