All 6 Uses of

principle
in
Freakonomics

The course was called Coaching Principles and Strategies of Basketball, and the final grade was based on a single exam that had twenty questions.†
p. 35.8 *

principles = basic rules or beliefs

If you are stumped by the final question, it might help to know that Coaching Principles was taught by Jim Harrick Jr., an assistant coach with the university's basketball team.†
p. 36.3

Not surprisingly, Coaching Principles was a favorite course among players on the Harricks' team.†
p. 36.5

"How selfish soever man may be supposed," Smith wrote, "there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it."†
p. 49.7

The fear created by commercial experts may not quite rival the fear created by terrorists like the Ku Klux Klan, but the principle is the same.†
p. 68.2

principle = basic rule or belief

Sandman's "control" principle might also explain why most people are more scared of flying in an airplane than driving a car.†
p. 150.9

Definitions:

(1) (principle)
a basic rule or belief
The exact meaning of principle can depend upon its context. For example:
- "our guiding principles" -- basic moral beliefs that guide decisions and behavior
- "electromagnetic principles" -- rules describing how the world works
- "She lacks principles." -- lacks moral guidelines
- "We agree in principle." -- about important basic beliefs
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
meaning too rare to warrant focus:

See a comprehensive dictionary for more specialized senses including one in chemistry.