About this episode

Dr. Peter Koritansky discusses Thomas Aquinas's views on punishment grounded in natural law and retributive justice.

Dr. Peter Koritansky argues that Thomas Aquinas grounds punishment in natural law and retributive justice, where punishment is justified not merely to deter or rehabilitate, but to express the moral order and the common good. This lecture was given on March 5th, 2026, at Cornell University. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speakers: Dr. Peter Karl Koritansky is a professor and Director of the Center for Civics, Culture, and Society at Cleveland State University. He has previously taught at Malone University, Walsh University, The University of Prince Edward Island in Canada, and the Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum in Rome, Italy. He has also been a visiting research scholar with the Jacques Maritain Center at The University of Notre Dame and at Princeton University with the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. He is the author of several articles and books, including Thomas Aquinas and the Philosophy of Punishment (The Catholic University of America Press, 2012), Engaging the Skeptic: Addressing the Modern Secularist’s Objections to the Catholic Worldview (Justin Press, 2018), and…

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Peter Koritansky

Topics covered

• philosophy
• punishment
• natural law
• retributive justice
• moral order
• common good

Keywords

• Anger
• Common Good
• Criminal Justice
• Desert
• Irascible Appetite
• Moral Order
• Natural Law
• Punishment
• Retributive Justice

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cleveland State University, Malone University, Walsh University, The University of Prince Edward Island, Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, Jacques Maritain Center, The University of Notre Dame, Princeton University, James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions

Books & works: Thomas Aquinas and the Philosophy of Punishment, Engaging the Skeptic: Addressing the Modern Secularist’s Objections to the Catholic Worldview, "Thomas Aquinas and the Euthyphro Dilemma"

Places: Cornell University, Hambden, Ohio

More episodes of The Thomistic Institute

• An Image of an Image (of God): Athens, Jerusalem, and Artificial Intelligence – Dr. Kevin Kambo · April 27, 2026 · 45 min
• John Henry Newman on Following Your Conscience – Dr. Christopher Mooney · April 24, 2026 · 57 min
• The Gift of Disability and the Hope for Healing – Prof. Paul Gondreau · April 23, 2026 · 50 min
• The Roots of the Church in the Old and New Testament – Prof. Nina Sophie Heereman · April 21, 2026 · 51 min
• Becoming a Good Conversationalist: How Not to Bore, Boast, or Otherwise Blather . . . and More! – Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. · April 20, 2026 · 34 min
• St. John Henry Newman’s Idea of the Saint – Dr. Rebekah Lamb · April 17, 2026 · 44 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Thomistic Institute podcast page.