Why 'Looksmaxxing' Won't Make You Happy - Prof. Catherine Peters

Applying Thomas Aquinas’s hierarchy of goods to the modern "looksmaxxing" trend, Prof. Catherine Peters critiques the elevation of physical attractiveness to an ultimate end, arguing that true human flourishing requires cultivating virtue rather than aesthetic optimization.

This lecture was given on September 24th, 2026, at University of Michigan.

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About the Speaker:

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.

This project/publication was made possible through the support of Grant 63391 from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Keywords: Looksmaxxing, Thomas Aquinas, Human Flourishing, Thomistic Philosophy, Hierarchy Of Goods, Perfection, Self-Image, Physical Attraction, Virtue Ethics, Philosophical Anthropology