The best way to approach many issues, both in our private lives and our societies, is to spend some time examining the underlying principles that apply.
A principle is a fundamental truth or guideline that can assist us to make discrete decisions as we move from situation to situation. Unlike sets of rules, which can be rigid and need constant revision, principles are flexible and organic and they allow for both individual differences and change.
Take the principle of equality for example. Equality is not an easy concept for us. We have no real framework for equality so it is hard for us to work it out. We understand high and low, up and down, better and worse but equality – as in things being equal – is much harder for us to see.
Let’s imagine, for the purposes of this exercise, that we are running a country and that we all agree that everybody is equal and has an equal right to education.
Next we have to resource this educational system – so we divide up our education budget by the number of children to be educated. In other words we make sure that each child gets exactly the same slice of the pie. Seems equal so far?
Now, however, we discover that some of our children have learning disabilities and therefore more resources are needed for them if they are to benefit from our educational system. This means there is no way we can treat everybody the same and hope for the same outcome.
So we have to return now to our principle of equality and see what we must do so that each child has whatever he/she needs to be educated. If we fix our gaze on the goal – namely that each of our children has a fair and equal opportunity for education – and then we can work out what we need to do in order for this to happen.
This is an over simplified example but it does demonstrate the importance of principles. Without clear principles, we become bogged down in the ‘rules’ we have created and very often lose sight of our goals.
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Related articles
- Equality of Opportunity in Education (politics.ie)
- C. M. Rubin: The Global Search for Education: New Zealand is Ready! (huffingtonpost.com)
- Yes – equality of opportunity exists (stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com)
- Principles are Virtues Everlasting (characterofchrist.wordpress.com)
Although I agree with most of your statements, I differ in your statement regarding principles being flexible, Values are flexible, principles are not. The principle of TRUTH is an absolute. Its the VALUE of truth that is personal, and then hence, flexible. If ones principle is HONESTY, it would be erroneous to say it had any flexiblity.Principles are fundamental, laws, doctrines or codes. They are the source from which one become virutous. Values are what society uses to to support a cause. They can change in degrees based upon the individual. Principles dont change, they the same now, as they always were. Man’s values change to accept them, not the other way around.
That’s a great distinction – thanks. I guess I think of principles as somewhere between absolutes – like absolute truth for example – and our subjective application of the same – which I think of I suppose kind of like your description of values. Oddly I imagine them like a bamboo framework – solid, strong but flexible in the sense that they can accomodate change without breaking – if that makes any sense!
To compound the example, we have to consider limited resources. Only so much time and money to go around. If child X gets all the time and attention she needs . . . another 100 children may get less benefit.
Is child X worth it? Or should we give 100 what they need and let them support X later in life?
Tough choices at times.
That’s why we need to keep an eye on the big picture when making choices I guess to stop us from getting too bogged down in rigid structures that are ultimately unhelpful.