1)

A foundational law or essential element of truth that constitutes a fundamental building block of a system.

2)

A tenet arrived at through the comprehensive analysis of facts and characteristics of a theory.

3)

See Major (#2).

Inflected Form(s):

Principles (plural)

Comments:

1)

In analytical terms, principles differ from rules in that principles are the fundamental building blocks which form a system; and rules are the guidelines to adhere to that foundation.

Being a tenant of a system, this generally means that the principle is always true for that system.

2)

Within this context, the theory is the system and the analysis is used to expose the principles of the theory.

This form of analysis is an extraction of the principles after the theory is already constructed. Rather than the inverse, which starts with the principles and then forms a theory (system) around those princples.

Example(s):

1)

Economy of Motion is a major principle of American Kenpo.

2)

If a practitioner were to analyze motion using a pivot point, one principle they would soon discover would be the Squeegee principle.

Synonym(s):

Constituent, Truth

Related Definition(s):

Concept, Rule, System, Theory

Related Term(s):

Clock Principle, Directional Zone Principle, Economy of Motion, General Rule, Grafted Principle, Power Principle, Puzzle Principle