I am sure many of you are familiar with the axiom called Murphy’s Law: Whatever can go wrong will go wrong. The saying is an axiomatic truth.
An axiom is a statement accepted as true on its intrinsic merit. Axiom has been used in the English language since the 15th century. Axiomatic means that something is taken for granted. It is axiomatic that good athletes have a strong mental attitude. It's axiomatic that the instinct for self-preservation is universal throughout the animal kingdom
Axiom is derived from the Latin word axioma, meaning a fundamental proposition. This came from the Greek word axioma, meaning honoured status, prestige, and that which is reasonable though not demonstrated to be true. The Greek verb axioo means to consider worthy or of value.
In mathematics or logic, an axiom is an unprovable rule accepted as true because it is self-evident or particularly useful. An example is, “Nothing can both be and not be at the same time and in the same respect.” Axiom is contrasted with a theorem, which requires a rigorous proof.
An axiom is a principle widely accepted for its essential worth. A statement that is axiomatic, therefore, is one against which few people would argue.
Edward Murphy Jr. was an American aerospace engineer working for the United States Air Force Institute of Technology in the 1940s & 1950s. He was a research and development officer at the Wright Air Development Centre in Ohio. Edward and his team had mishap after mishap during rocket sled tests. His original quote was the precautionary design advice that "If there are two or more ways to do something and one of those results in a catastrophe, then someone will do it that way.”
Testing project head John Stapp finalized and popularized the axiom during a press conference when he quipped, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” It wasn’t until 1951 that the axiom became known as Murphy’s Law.
In 1955, May–June issue of Aviation Mechanics Bulletin included the line "Murphy's law: If an aircraft part can be installed incorrectly, someone will install it that way.” Lloyd Mallan's book Men, Rockets and Space Rats, referred to Colonel Stapp's axiom on sober scientific laws, Murphy's law, “Everything that can possibly go wrong will go wrong.”
The Mercury Seven were a group of astronauts selected to fly for Project Mercury in 1959. Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton created a new profession in the United states and established the image of the American astronaut for years to come. In 1962 they attributed Murphy’s axiom to the United States Navy training films.
Synonyms for axiomatic include obvious, self-evident, apparent, and prima facie.
Obvious implies such ease in discovering that it often suggests conspicuousness or little need for discernment in the observer. Keeping his head down focusing on the ball through the shot was the obvious solution to his errant golf shots.
Self-evident means presence of visible signs that lead one to a definite conclusion without proof or reasoning. The phrase "self-evident" in the United States Declaration of Independence refers to the idea that certain truths, like the equality of all men and their endowment with unalienable rights, are obvious and do not require proof.
Apparent suggests something manifest to the senses or mind as real or true on the basis of evidence that may or may not be factually valid. They attributed his death to an apparent heart attack.
Prima facie means true, valid, or sufficient at first impression. Although it was a prima facie idea, it is easy to think of counter examples.
John Stapp is credited with involvement in another axiom, Stapp's Law, during his work on the aerospace project, "The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle.” It seems the U.S. space program generates a lot of axiomatic statements. I wonder if it will continue to do so.
Columnist John Kreutzwieser loves to research words and writes this weekly Word Wisdom column for Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com. He has an interest in the usage, origin, and relevance of words for society today. Greek and Latin form the basis of many words, with ancient Hebrew shedding light on word usage.
John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to [email protected] . Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
