Editing Principle (section)

{{Short description|Rule, guide or inevitable consequence}}
{{other uses|Principle (disambiguation)}}
{{distinguish|Principal (disambiguation){{!}}Principal}}
[[File:Statua Iustitiae.jpg|thumb|170px|The [[Blind justice (concept)|concept of blind justice]] is a moral principle.<ref>Jacoby, Jeff. [http://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/05/10/lady_justices_blindfold/ "Lady Justice's blindfold."] ''Boston.com''. 10 May 2009. 25 October 2017.</ref>]]
A '''principle''' may relate to a fundamental truth or  proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of beliefs or behavior or a chain of reasoning.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2010-01-01 |editor-last=Stevenson |editor-first=Angus |editor2-last=Lindberg |editor2-first=Christine A. |title=New Oxford American Dictionary |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780195392883.001.0001 |doi=10.1093/acref/9780195392883.001.0001|isbn=978-0-19-539288-3 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>  They provide a guide for behavior or evaluation.<ref name=":0" /> A principle can make values explicit, so they are expressed in the form of rules and standards. Principles unpack the values underlying them more concretely so that the values can be more easily operationalized in policy statements and actions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=UNESCO |date=2021 |title=Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence |url=https://www.unesco.org/en/legal-affairs/recommendation-ethics-artificial-intelligence }}</ref> 

In [[law]], higher order, overarching principles establish [[Legal rule|rules]] to be followed, modified by sentencing guidelines relating to context and proportionality. In science and nature, a principle may define the essential characteristics of the system, or reflect the system's designed purpose. The effective operation would be impossible if any one of the principles was to be ignored.<ref>Alpa, Guido (1994) [http://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/annlsurvey/vol1/iss1/2/ General Principles of Law], ''Annual Survey of International & Comparative Law'', Vol. 1: Is. 1, Article 2. from [[Golden Gate University School of Law]]</ref> A system may be explicitly based on and implemented from a document of principles as was done in IBM's [[IBM System/360 architecture|360/370]] ''Principles of Operation''. It is important to differentiate an operational principle, including reference to 'first principles' from higher order 'guiding' or 'exemplary' principles, such as equality, justice and sustainability. Higher-order, 'superordinate' principles (Super-Ps) provide a basis for resolving differences and building agreement/alignment.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharpley |first=D. |date=2024 |title=Leadership Principles and Purpose |url=https://www.routledge.com/Leadership-Principles-and-Purpose-Developing-Leadership-Effectiveness-and-Future-Focused-Capability/Sharpley/p/book/9781032575063 }}</ref>

Examples of principles are, [[entropy (disambiguation)|entropy]] in a number of fields, least action in physics, those in descriptive comprehensive and fundamental law: [[doctrine]]s or assumptions forming normative rules of conduct, [[separation of church and state]] in statecraft, the [[central dogma of molecular biology]], [[wikt:fairness|fairness]] in ethics, etc.

In common English, it is a substantive and collective term referring to rule governance, the absence of which, being "unprincipled", is considered a character defect. It may also be used to declare that a reality has diverged from some ideal or norm as when something is said to be true only "in principle" but not in fact.