FIPS Releases its First Principles Thinking Review (Issue 1)

In the last two years, the Factory for Innovative Policy Solutions has come a long way: from producing solution reports on societal challenges and sending them to policymakers, to publishing our Manual to Generate Innovative Solutions to Today’s Challenges, to organizing training sessions for those interested in learning more about the philosophy and methodology that drives our organization: first principles thinking. Our most recent development is the publication of the First Principles Thinking Review, the first issue of which you have before you. It is our hope that through this publication, what initially began as a small brainstorming session on a little-known problem-solving method will develop into an international and interdisciplinary conversation about tackling societal challenges with first principles thinking.

You can download it HERE .

The Review is divided into two sections. In the first section, Theory, our contributors seek to expand the area of knowledge related to first principles and the associated methodology itself. Here, history, philosophy and the exploration of other problem-solving methods come together in order to better our understanding of what exactly first principles thinking is and how it can be used. In the second section, Practice, our contributors investigate different ways of applying the first principles thinking method to societal challenges. This is where abstract ideas are turned into concrete proposals for overcoming real-world problems through first principles thinking.

The First Principles Thinking Review is the first of its kind with respect to its scope and focus. Although first principles thinking can be traced back to ancient times, surprisingly little has been done to develop its potential as a catalyst for societal innovation and progress. It is therefore the purpose of this publication to finally change that status quo. By dedicating the pages of the Review to create an outlet for interdisciplinary research and experimentation, the Factory for Innovative Policy Solutions hopes to engage as many inquisitive minds as possible in the realization of this project. For this reason, we remain dedicated to the principles of open-access publication and encourage you, our reader, to share the content found herein and join our global network of first principles thinkers.

For those readers who would like to see their ideas published in the next issue of the First Principles Thinking Review, please submit a draft article through the Factory for Innovative Policy Solutions website, where the editorial guidelines are described in greater length and detail. In the event that you would like to make a contribution but are not sure of how to get an article off the ground, our editorial team welcomes unsolicited emails with rough ideas or topic proposals. Our editors are more than happy to work with you on developing such ideas into articles that can be published and shared with those who are in a position to help implement your ideas to solve the societal challenges you care about. We hope that the articles you will find herein shall serve as a source of both inspiration for new ideas as well as the motiativation that is necessary to make those ideas a reality.