Now Aquinas went further, he argued that when we use our reason, we notice basic goods that

all reasonable humans pursue the main purposes of life what near enough all humans want and
what all humans are drawn towards he distinguished five basic goods that he referred to as
primary precepts. The Primary precepts include Life so the preservation and promotion of life
reproduction so the continuation of the human race. Education, this is more so education of one’s
offspring so they will know how to continue the human race live better lives and even protect
you when you get old. Worshipping God, Aquinas saw how we innately seek God, we try to
understand and make sense of our lives as a whole. And finally, Law and Order, this promotes
justice and allows us to live in a functional well-maintained society where human can grow
develop and be safe. I see, so these are the primary precepts, the basic goods.

Aquinas then goes on to say that natural law continues from the primary precepts into the
secondary precepts. Once our reason acknowledges the primary precepts, we use our reason to
further derive our rules, law, and behavior in accordance with the basic goods. So, the specific
laws or behavioral codes are the secondary precepts. I’m not sure I understand. Okay let me
explain. We’ll take the first primary precept of life, the promotion of life. Our reason has
acknowledged that this is a basic good to follow. We then think about murder, as murder is
taking a life. Therefore, it goes against the primary precept of promoting and preserving life and
so it goes against the natural law. So, murder is something we shouldn’t do. Murder is wrong,
this would be a secondary precept. Or if we take school. School is a place where children go to
learn and become educated. Educating your offspring is a primary precept. School is something
that follows the primary precept and therefore follows the natural law. School is therefore good.
This is another secondary percept.

Thomistic Ethics is based on the idea that doing what is good will leads to more human
development, greater realization of potential, and most of the time in a community of action
where the good is developed collaboratively. As a result, Thomistic ethics does not deal with
specific actions of individuals (this is the sphere of personal prudential judgement and
conscience). Rather, this ethics is concerned with general practices (such as giving to the poor,
controlling one's excessive emotions, procreating offspring, and so on). Moral precepts include
the promotion of life for our reason, which is a fundamental good to follow, as well as the natural
law, which would be a secondary precept. For example, a school is a place where children go to
learn and be educated, which adheres to the primary precept of promoting and preserving life.
Educating your children is a primary precept, and schooling them is a secondary one.