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Aprecept (from theLatin:præcipere, to teach) is acommandment, instruction, or order intended as anauthoritative rule of action.
Inreligion, precepts are usually commands respectingmoral conduct.
The term is encountered frequently in the Jewish and ChristianScriptures:
Thou hast commanded thy precepts to be kept diligently. O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping thy statutes!
— Psalm 119(118):4–5,RSV
The usage of precepts in theRevised Standard Version of the Bible corresponds with that of theHebrew Bible. TheSeptuagint (Samuel Rengster edition) hasGreekentolas, which, too, may be rendered with precepts.
TheLatin Church of theCatholic Church'scanon law, which is based onRoman Law, makes a distinction betweenprecept andlaw in Canon 49:
A singular precept is adecree which directly and legitimately enjoins a specific person or persons to do or omit something, especially in order to urge the observance of law.
InCatholicism, the "Commandments of the Church" may also be called "Precepts of the Church".
Holy days of obligation may also be known simply asprecepts.
InBuddhism, the fundamental code of ethics is known as theFive Precepts (Pañcaśīla inSanskrit, orPañcasīla inPāli), practiced bylaypeople, either for a given period of time or for a lifetime. The precepts also relate to right speech, action and livelihood aspects of the Noble Eightfold Path, which is essential inBuddhist practices. There are other levels of precepts, varying amongst traditions. InTheravadin tradition, there areEight Precepts,Ten Precepts, and thePatimokkha. Eight Precepts are a more rigorous practice for laypeople. Ten Precepts are the training rules forsamaneras andsamaneris, novicemonks andnuns, respectively. The Patimokkha is the basic Theravada code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for monks, (bhikkhus) and 311 rules for nuns (bhikkhunis).[1]
In secularlaw, a precept is a command in writing; a species ofwrit issued from a court or other legal authority. It is now chiefly used of an order demanding payment (in the UK, for example, the term is applied by localprecepting authorities as part of theCouncil Tax system). The Latin formpraecipe (i.e., to enjoin, command) is used of the note of instructions delivered by aplaintiff or hislawyer to be filed by the officer of the court, giving the names of the plaintiff anddefendant.[2]
Princeton University uses the termprecept to describe what many other universities refer to asrecitations: large classes are often divided into several smaller discussion sections called precepts, which are led by the professor or graduateteaching assistants. Precepts or recitations usually meet once a week to supplement the lectures and provide a venue for discussion of the course material.[3]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Precept".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 274.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. Porter, Noah, ed. (1913).Webster's Dictionary. Springfield, Massachusetts: C. & G. Merriam Co.{{cite encyclopedia}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)| International | |
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