The AA Preamble dates back to 1947. It was written by Tom Y., editor of the Grapevine, and introduced in the June issue of the magazine that year. According to
aa.org, much of the phrasing was borrowed from the Foreword to the First Edition of the Big Book.
This is obviously the case with the first paragraph of the Preamble. However, the second paragraph clearly shows that the Foreword’s language was significantly altered by Traditions 5 and 10, which Bill had already written. In fact, the magazine had published the 12 Traditions in summary form in 1946 and would start publishing their final, longer versions in December of 1947.
We can see the influence of Tradition 10 in the Preamble's broadening of the “not allied” principle in the Foreword. This now applies not only to religion (“faith, sect or denomination”) but also to any “politics, organization or institution.” According to the Tradition, all of these involve “outside issues” on which AA has no opinion. Hence it neither endorses nor opposes any causes associated with them. Borrowing a keyword from the Tradition, the Preamble declares that AA does not wish to engage in any “controversy.”
The point is driven home with a key phrase borrowed from Tradition 5: our “primary purpose.” This is simply to “stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.”
The reasons for not getting involved with any outside issues, avoiding controversy, and sticking to our primary purpose, are explained in Tradition 10 of the 12&12 and illustrated with the story of the Washingtonian Society, a predecessor of AA.
Below is the Preamble as it stood until 2021, when the General Service Board changed it as noted in red. The change is ascribed to a desire to use inclusive language that represents the current composition of the Fellowship.
