animating principle

The animating principle of today's GOP is relentless animus toward the president.

The power lies in the spirit—the animating principle; and verily such a power seems to exist.

By what name, then, shall we call this animating principle of the universe, this eternal source of phenomena?

Their animating principle was a high and a sacred cause: they had become wars of liberty, and wars of religion.

Can we attribute this to neglect or to exaggeration of its animating principle, as suggested in the formula of Montesquieu?

The love of Right, which is the animating principle of our movement, is higher than the love of Freedom.