These framework papers define core concepts and are used across position papers. They are the shared reference tools that help the main threads stay focused, consistent, and easier to read.
Academic Thread
TST Core: Frameworks
TST Core Frameworks define reusable ideas once, so the rest of TST Philosophy can apply them clearly without repeating the full explanation every time.
Sun 7 Jun 2026
Published 1 month ago.
Updated 1 week ago.
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TST Core: Frameworks
By Michael Alan Prestwood
1 of 5
Philosophy
Working Paper
TST Philosophy: A 5-Step Structure
TST Philosophy
Enjoy the journey, but ground it in truth and honor. Refine your beliefs against reality, act with integrity even when unseen, and reduce harm where possible. Life is not perfection — it is ongoing alignment between understanding, responsibility, and the shared systems we influence.
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Philosophy
Article
TST Framework: A 5-4-3 Structure
Critical Thinking
The TST Framework is a critical thinking framework with three key components: Thought Tools, Mind Traps, and Truth Hammers. Together, these elements provide a structured approach to understanding and evaluating information. The Five Thought Tools help you gather, frame, and communicate accurate information, the Four Mind Traps help you avoid potholes, and the Three Truth Hammers help you short circuit the gathering of accurate information.
3 of 5
Philosophy
Working Paper
Mindscape Framework
Consciousness
TST defines consciousness as the experience of reality, scaled by cognitive architecture. We do not merely react to the world; we model it through senses, memory, emotion, intelligence, self-awareness, worldview, and cultural transmission. Many of these tools began as ancient survival heuristics. Over time, they stabilize into identity. Recognizing that identity rests on layered cognitive architecture gives us humility.
4 of 5
Critical Thinking
Working Paper
Idea Theory Framework
Scientific Method
Ideas gain credibility by surviving testing. Confusion about information comes from treating ideas equally. The Idea Theory Framework restores clarity by ranking ideas according to evidence, testability, and scope. It teaches intellectual humility without relativism.
5 of 5
Philosophy
Working Paper
The Material-Spiritual Framework: A Philosophy of Spirituality
Spirituality
Embrace spirituality using a framework that sorts ideas carefully. Empirical claims belong to the shared material world and should answer to evidence. Spiritual stories can explore meaning, identity, hope, morality, and the unknowable. Clarity allows tolerance without surrendering truth.