The belief that dangerous views must be stamped out is the heart of totalitarianism, whether medieval or modern, religious or secular. The human race has ample experience that totalitarian practices do far more evil than the ideas they stamp out. Thus, equality of rights is the basis not only of academic freedom but also of legal equality in a free and democratic society. If the interest of a person or group is what is good for the person or group, it is ordinarily at least partly unknown, which leaves an essential role for free academic inquiry. If politics is a struggle to obtain the good for a person or group, politics needs regularly to be anticipated and supplemented by inquiry to ascertain that good, which leaves an essential role for free academic inquiry.
Principles are rules or laws, often more general or basic than other rules and laws.
The rules that one should be honest, fight fair, not be cruel to animals and not shed innocent human blood are moral principles. Indeed, their existence is so widespread that it would seem inhuman for a person to have none. This is indeed pulling out all the stops. Be sure to include your name and affiliation. Legitimate requests for anonymity will be honored.