Proactionary Principle
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30
CORE DEFINITION
Proposed by Max More as the opposite of the Precautionary Principle (which says: if there is risk, don't do it). It holds that technological progress inevitably entails risks, but this should not be a reason to stop innovation. We should assess risks and manage them through proactive experimentation and correction, because the risk of 'stagnation' may be greater than the risk of 'trying something new'.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
Ethical justification for innovation. Used to break conservative decision-making deadlocks. In radical fields such as AI and gene editing, this principle advocates 'solving problems through development' rather than 'abandoning development for safety'.
Anchor fast decisions
As the opposite of the Precautionary Principle (if there is risk, don't do it): it acknowledges that progress inevitably involves risks, but the 'risk of stagnation' may be greater, so risks should be managed through proactive trial and error, solving problems through development.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proactionary_principleverified
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