From Nature to Norm: How to Derive 'Ought' From 'Is' – Prof. Catherine Peters

The Thomistic Institute

Prof. Catherine Peters addresses the philosophical question of deriving moral 'ought' from descriptive 'is', arguing from a Thomistic natural law perspective that the essence of human nature grounds objective moral norms, bridging fact and value through teleology and reason.

This lecture was given on May 30th, 2025, at Mount Saint Mary College.

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About the Speakers:

Catherine Peters is an associate professor of medieval philosophy at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. Her work centers on issues of philosophical anthropology, metaphysics, and natural theology. She is passionate about translating medieval thought into modern terms and applying its insights to perennial questions such as “Who am I?” “What should I do?” and “Is there a God?” A frequent presenter in both the United States and Europe, her scholarship has been published in numerous volumes and journals, including The Thomist, New Blackfriars, National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, The Journal of Islamic Philosophy, European Journal for the Study of Thomas Aquinas, Lex Naturalis, and Jesuit Higher Education. When not in the classroom, she can often be found in local coffee shops, at the dog park, or in a HIIT class.

Keywords: Anthropology, Eternal Law, Humean Empiricism, Law and Morality, Natural Law, Naturalistic Fallacy, Practical Reason, Rational Animal, Teleology, Treatise of Human Nature