Principles to Premises - A Short and Sweet Statement

The Start of an Honest Conversation or a Simple Assertion 

Photo by Dan Clear on Unsplash

It is true in any realm of thought. One must know and state one’s principle clearly as they form the foundations of all we think and say with intellectual integrity.

A principle is a truth that is universally true regardless of context, implications, interpretation, or application. It can be stated and allowed to sit there, or people can choose to wrestle on their own, or with others about how to interpret or apply it.
 
 While it cannot be taken for granted that all will accept the principle as a premise, it does not need to be argued or defended in debate. It does need to be stated, however, out of respect for those with whom we dialogue as in what the framers called, “a decent respect for the opinions” of mankind.
 
 Knowing and stating one’s premises and identifying the principles that underlie them, is an honest approach to any conversation.