Why did Thomas Aquinas think corrupt customs could lead people to misapply natural law?

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Painting by Rembrandt showing Aristotle in rich dark clothing with a gold chain, resting his hand thoughtfully on a marble bust of Homer, illuminated against a dark background. — natural law *Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer*, oil on canvas by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1653; in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

St. Thomas Aquinas taught that while the essentials of natural law can be understood through reason and reflection on experience, individuals are prone to error when applying these general moral principles to the specific, complex cases encountered in everyday life.12

Aquinas argued that corrupt customs and poor moral education can obscure the conclusions of natural reason. Because these societal influences can cloud a person's judgment, he believed that human societies must enact their own laws to supplement natural law. These positive laws serve to provide clarity and, where necessary, to coerce those who—due to their own imperfections or the influence of corrupt environments—might otherwise act in ways that are wrong and socially destructive.12