Principle (glossary)

1) a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behaviour or for a chain of reasoning (Oxford Dictionaries 2012a)

2) a rule or belief governing one’s behaviour (Oxford Dictionaries 2012b)

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Source(s)

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Discussion

A principle is a rule of conduct or behavior. To take this further, a principle is a “basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct.” [WordWeb.com] A principle can also be thought of as a “basic truth or law or assumption.” [ibid.]

Principles depend on concepts in order to state a “truth.” Hence, principles and concepts go hand in hand; principles cannot exist without concepts and concepts are not very useful without principles to help guide the proper way to act (Lawson and Martin 2008).