README.md
1 # Theory-First Development Pattern 2 3 > "Bootstrap off of high resonant ideas from academic theory." 4 5 --- 6 7 ## The Pattern 8 9 When developing new capabilities or evaluating system design: 10 11 ``` 12 THEORY → ALIGNMENT → IMPLEMENTATION → GAPS → ITERATION 13 │ │ │ │ │ 14 │ │ │ │ └─ Refine based on gaps 15 │ │ │ │ 16 │ │ │ └─ Where does system fall short? 17 │ │ │ 18 │ │ └─ Map theory to current code 19 │ │ 20 │ └─ Check alignment with A0-A4 axioms 21 │ 22 └─ Research academic/theoretical foundations 23 ``` 24 25 --- 26 27 ## Why This Pattern 28 29 1. **Avoid reinventing the wheel**: Academic theory has solved many problems 30 2. **Higher confidence**: Theories that survived peer review have initial validation 31 3. **Lindy effect**: Ancient theories that persist are more likely to be true 32 4. **Principle alignment**: Filter theories through our bedrock axioms 33 5. **Gap discovery**: Theory reveals what system is missing 34 35 --- 36 37 ## The Process 38 39 ### Step 1: Theory Research 40 41 **Sources** (in order of preference): 42 1. Foundational texts (e.g., Mises's "Human Action", Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics") 43 2. Synthesis works (e.g., Munger's lattice, Peterson's Maps of Meaning) 44 3. Academic papers (peer-reviewed, recent) 45 4. Practitioner insights (e.g., Taleb, Saylor) 46 47 **Questions to answer:** 48 - What are the core axioms/principles of this theory? 49 - What does it claim is true about the world? 50 - What does it predict/explain? 51 - Who disagrees and why? 52 53 ### Step 2: Axiom Alignment 54 55 For each principle in the theory, compute alignment with A0-A4: 56 57 ``` 58 THEORY PRINCIPLE: [statement] 59 60 A0 (Boundary): δ = [0-1] [explanation] 61 A1 (Integration): δ = [0-1] [explanation] 62 A2 (Life): δ = [0-1] [explanation] 63 A3 (Navigation): δ = [0-1] [explanation] 64 A4 (Ergodicity): δ = [0-1] [explanation] 65 66 OVERALL ALIGNMENT: [weighted average] 67 ``` 68 69 **Alignment Thresholds:** 70 | Score | Interpretation | 71 |-------|----------------| 72 | > 0.80 | Strong alignment - adopt | 73 | 0.60-0.80 | Good alignment with tensions - investigate | 74 | 0.40-0.60 | Mixed alignment - caution | 75 | < 0.40 | Poor alignment - likely reject or theory wrong | 76 77 ### Step 3: Implementation Mapping 78 79 Create a table: 80 81 | Theory Concept | Already Implemented? | Location | Quality | 82 |---------------|---------------------|----------|---------| 83 | [concept 1] | Yes/Partial/No | [file path] | [assessment] | 84 | [concept 2] | ... | ... | ... | 85 86 ### Step 4: Gap Identification 87 88 For each gap: 89 90 ``` 91 GAP: [description] 92 93 Theory says: [what the theory claims] 94 System has: [what we currently do] 95 Conflict level: [high/medium/low] 96 Recommendation: [action] 97 Moses decision needed: [yes/no + what specifically] 98 ``` 99 100 ### Step 5: Moses Review 101 102 Present gaps to Moses with: 103 - Clear explanation of theory position 104 - Clear explanation of current system position 105 - Options for resolution 106 - Recommendation with reasoning 107 108 Moses decides: 109 - Accept theory (modify system) 110 - Reject theory position (keep system) 111 - Synthesize (new approach combining both) 112 - Defer (need more information) 113 114 ### Step 6: Iterate 115 116 After implementation: 117 - Re-run alignment check 118 - Document what changed 119 - Note if theory improved our understanding 120 - Add theory to validation stacks if broadly useful 121 122 --- 123 124 ## Template 125 126 ```markdown 127 # [Theory Name] Alignment Analysis 128 129 > Theory-First Development: [Source] → A0-A4 → System Implementation 130 131 **Date**: [YYYY-MM-DD] 132 **Theory Source**: [Author - Work (Year)] 133 **Method**: Academic theory → Principle alignment → Implementation mapping → Gap identification 134 135 --- 136 137 ## 1. Theory Core Axioms 138 139 [Describe the fundamental claims of the theory] 140 141 --- 142 143 ## 2. Alignment with Bedrock Axioms 144 145 ### A0: Boundary Operation 146 [Analysis] 147 **Alignment Score: X.XX** 148 149 ### A1: Telos of Integration 150 [Analysis] 151 **Alignment Score: X.XX** 152 153 ### A2: Recognition of Life 154 [Analysis] 155 **Alignment Score: X.XX** 156 157 ### A3: Dynamic Pole Navigation 158 [Analysis] 159 **Alignment Score: X.XX** 160 161 ### A4: Ergodic Asymmetry 162 [Analysis] 163 **Alignment Score: X.XX** 164 165 --- 166 167 ## 3. Implementation Mapping 168 169 | Theory Concept | Current Implementation | Location | 170 |---------------|----------------------|----------| 171 | ... | ... | ... | 172 173 --- 174 175 ## 4. Gaps and Conflicts 176 177 ### Gap 1: [Title] 178 [Description, recommendation, Moses decision needed] 179 180 --- 181 182 ## 5. Action Items 183 184 ### Immediate (High Confidence) 185 [List] 186 187 ### For Moses Review 188 [List] 189 190 --- 191 192 ## Sources 193 [References] 194 ``` 195 196 --- 197 198 ## Completed Analyses 199 200 | Theory | Date | Overall Alignment | Key Insights | 201 |--------|------|------------------|--------------| 202 | [Mises Praxeology](./praxeology-alignment.md) | 2026-01-17 | 0.84 | Subjective value, action axiom, time preference gap, A4 extension opportunity | 203 204 --- 205 206 ## Candidate Theories for Analysis 207 208 Theories that may have high resonance with our principles: 209 210 ### Economics 211 - [ ] Hayek - Knowledge Problem (A0+distributed cognition) 212 - [ ] Kirzner - Entrepreneurial Alertness (A2+recognition) 213 - [ ] Böhm-Bawerk - Capital Theory (time-structure of production) 214 - [ ] Coase - Transaction Costs (A0+boundary costs) 215 216 ### Philosophy 217 - [ ] Aristotle - Virtue Ethics (A2+flourishing) 218 - [ ] Kant - Categorical Imperative (A1+universalizability) 219 - [ ] Heidegger - Being and Time (A2+temporality) 220 - [ ] Wittgenstein - Language Games (A0+boundaries of meaning) 221 222 ### Systems 223 - [ ] Ashby - Law of Requisite Variety (A0+boundary complexity) 224 - [ ] Beer - Viable System Model (A0+nested blankets) 225 - [ ] Prigogine - Dissipative Structures (A2+far-from-equilibrium life) 226 227 ### Psychology/Cognition 228 - [ ] Piaget - Equilibration (A0+A3+accommodation) 229 - [ ] Gibson - Ecological Perception (A0+direct realism) 230 - [ ] Kahneman - System 1/2 (A3+dual process) 231 232 ### Evolution/Biology 233 - [ ] Dawkins - Extended Phenotype (A0+boundary extension) 234 - [ ] Varela - Autopoiesis (A0+self-production) 235 - [ ] Campbell - Evolutionary Epistemology (A2+selection as knowledge) 236 237 --- 238 239 *Pattern established 2026-01-17. Theory-first development as standard practice.*