🚶
The Everyday Philosopher's Guide
English
🚶
The Everyday Philosopher's Guide
English
  • 👋Start Here - What is the Everyday Philosopher's Guide?
  • What is Philosophy?
  • Putting Philosophy Into Practice
  • ⚙️Tools
    • 🤔Critical Reasoning
      • Argumentation
      • Deduction
      • Induction
      • Validity
      • Soundness
      • Refutation
      • Definition
      • Tautology
      • Abduction
      • Certainty
      • Axiom
      • Fallacy
      • Dialectics
      • Paradox
      • Contradiction
      • Analogy
      • Anomaly
      • Reduction
      • Thought Experiment
      • Conditional
      • Ambiguity
      • Counterexample
      • Criteria
      • Doxa
    • ☯️Conceptual Distinctions
      • Absolute/Relative
      • a priori/a posteriori
      • Analytic/Synthetic
      • de re/de dicto
      • Defeasible/Indefeasible
      • Cause/Reason
      • Tetralemma (catuṣkoṭi)
      • Categorical/Modal
      • Sense/Reference
      • Conditional/Biconditional
      • Entailment/Implication
      • Endurantism/Perdurantism
      • Essential/Accidental
      • Knowledge by acquaintance/Knowledge by description
      • Internalism/Externalism
      • Belief/Knowledge
      • Necessary/Contingent
      • Necessary/Sufficient
      • Being/Nothingness
      • Objective/Subjective
      • Syntax/Semantics
      • Type/Token
    • ⚗️Thought Experiments
      • Ship of Theseus
      • The Chinese Room
      • Butterfly Dream
      • Thompson's Violinist
    • 💫Fallacies
      • Confirmation bias
      • Circularity
      • Fundamental attribution error
    • ⚖️Philosophical Frameworks
      • Principle of Charity
      • Golden Rule
  • 📜Lore
    • 🧑‍🏫Philosophers
      • Ancient
        • Aristotle
        • Confucius
        • Xunzi
        • Mencius
        • Zhuangzi
        • Thiruvalluvar
      • Medieval
      • Modern
      • Contemporary
        • Byung Chul Han
    • 📚Traditions
      • Baha'i Faith
      • Buddhism
      • Judaism
      • Islam
      • Posthumanism
    • 🗺️Geographical Regions
  • 🛠️Applications
    • From Person to Society
    • 🧍Personal Applications
      • Self-reflection
      • Philosophical Health
      • Journaling
      • Skills Development
        • Inner Development Goals
        • Metacognition
        • Integrity and Authenticity
        • Presence
        • Sensemaking
        • Open-mindedness
        • Communication
    • 🫂Relational Applications
      • Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
      • Interfaith dialogue
      • Existential Coaching
      • Philosophical Counselling
      • Philosophical Enquiry (PhiE)
      • Reason-based decision making
    • 🌏Societal Applications
      • Education
      • Healthcare
      • Public Policy
      • Gender
      • Religion
  • About
    • 📜Manifesto of the Everyday Philosopher
    • Our Contributors
      • Malaysian Philosophy Society
  • Appendix
    • License
Powered by GitBook
On this page
  • What are axioms?
  • How we apply axioms in everyday life
  • Explore further

Was this helpful?

Export as PDF
  1. Tools
  2. Critical Reasoning

Axiom

What are axioms?

Axioms are statements or principles that are accepted as being true without the need for proof or evidence. Axioms are often self-evident, fundamental ideas that serve as the basis for building more complex theories, arguments, or systems of thought. They are commonly used everywhere; from mathematics to making life decisions.

How we apply axioms in everyday life

Here's a few of the many ways axioms are used:

Foundations for reasoning

Axioms provide a starting point for logical reasoning, helping us build arguments and make sense of the world around us. For example, the axiom "things that are equal to the same thing are equal to each other" is a basic principle in mathematics and logic that we use to understand equality.

Shared understanding

Axioms are often universally accepted principles, which help create a shared understanding between people in discussions or problem-solving situations. This common ground makes it easier to communicate ideas and collaborate effectively.

Simplifying complex ideas

Axioms break down complex ideas into simpler, more manageable components. By accepting certain fundamental truths, we can focus on exploring new ideas and building upon existing knowledge without having to prove every single concept from scratch.

Guiding principles

Axioms can serve as guiding principles in our lives, shaping our beliefs, values, and decision-making processes. For example, the golden rule, "treat others as you would like to be treated," is an ethical axiom that many people follow to navigate social interactions.

Explore further

While axioms are generally accepted as true, it's important to recognise that they can sometimes be challenged or revised as new information or perspectives emerge.

PreviousCertaintyNextFallacy

Last updated 1 year ago

Was this helpful?

To explore commonly-used examples of axioms in everyday life, check out .

⚙️
🤔
Principles and Axioms