Aquinas Natural Law - Primary And Secondary Precepts

Primary Precepts

Primary and secondary precepts are there to assist humans in deciding whether or not an act leads towards God. This depends on whether the actions fit the purpose that humans were made for. The first primary precept is to preserve life the self and the innocent. This is supported by the Bible in (Exodus: 20:13) which says you shall not murder. The next is to reproduce which is supported by the Bible in (Genesis 1:28) which says be fruitful and multiply. The third is to acquire knowledge which humans have a natural inculcation for because we want to know everything we can about the universe and it makes sense because it is vital that the next generation knows and understand the primary precepts. The fourth is to live in an ordered society which is supported by the Ten Commandments which are all about living in an ordered society. The final primary precept is to worship God which is supported by the (Gospel of Mark 12:30), O Israel the Lord our God, the lord is one, you shall Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The primary precepts do not change as Natural Law is written in the hearts of every man.

Secondary Precepts

Secondary precepts are rulings about things that we should or shouldn t do because they uphold, or fail to uphold the primary precepts. Aquinas deduces the secondary precepts from the primary ones. Reproduction is a primary precept. The purpose of human genitals is reproduction. Therefore, Masturbation is considered wrong as it does not lead to a new life, doesn t fulfill its purpose and doesn t glorify God. Having heterosexual intercourse with one s partner is good as it involves using the genitalia for their purpose, to pursue the primary precept of reproduction, and so it leads towards God as an end and the action itself glorifies God.