Thanks for the question! You can think about the terms principle and general principle as generally interchangeable; I can’t think of any examples off the top of my head on the LSAT where it would matter if the word “principle” or the words “general principle” were used. These also aren’t necessarily present in all arguments, but in some arguments, you might have some kind of principle from which a course of action in a specific case can be concluded. Some kind of abstract guideline, applicable to many situations, that will help you figure something out now. Let me give an example:
People should be honest and try to return lost goods when they find them, or otherwise report them.. Bob found a wallet on the ground the other day.
So Bob finding a wallet on the ground the other day is a premise, a thing that happened. And now we have a principle: in general, people should try to return goods they find. So what can we conclude about this case? Well, to act in accordance with the principle, Bob has to try to return the wallet, or report it to the police. And that’s a very common role that a principle might take in an argument.
Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any other questions that you might have.
