Full Idea
The individual numbers are best derived from the number one together with increase by one.
Gist of Idea
Individual numbers are best derived from the number one, and increase by one
Source
Gottlob Frege (Grundlagen der Arithmetik (Foundations) [1884], §18)
Book Reference
Frege,Gottlob: 'The Foundations of Arithmetic (Austin)', ed/tr. Austin,J.L. [Blackwell 1980], p.25
A Reaction
Frege rejects the empirical approach partly because of the intractability of zero, but this approach has the same problem. I suggest a combination of empiricism for simple numbers, and pure formalism for extensions into complexity, and zero.