Since there is no survival value in an animal's having an organ that is able to function when all its other organs ha...

on January 10, 2020

General Principle

Is a general principle the same as a premise?

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on January 11, 2020

Hello @Shirnel,

General principles and premises are not necessarily the same thing, but they can be. A premise is a pretty broad term, which includes just about anything that leads to a conclusion. A premise can be a fact or it can also be a general rule/principle. I'll give you an example.

Premise: No person who has ever lied should be appointed to the Supreme Court. (This is a general principle, or a rule.)
Premise: I lied to my mom in the 3rd grade. (Fact)
Conclusion: I should not be appointed to the Supreme Court.

In this case, one of the premises was a principle. But the second premise is not a principle. It doesn't matter so much what you call it. A principle will appear in a conditional format, with identifiable sufficient and necessary conditions. As long as you understand the logic of sufficient and necessary, you should have no problem with principles when they appear in a stimulus.