Neil Gorsuch has an outstanding judicial record during his career. However, after examining his track record, liberals found that he was mentored by the opponent of gay marriage John Finnis during his study at the Oxford University.
The Supreme Court Justice’s nominee has an excellent track record in defending religious liberties and he is known to emphasize the value of life in the case of euthanasia. However, as reported by Quartz, he was mentored by Finnis during his study of philosophy of law at the Oxford. This fact is the outlet for the liberals to attack his credibility.
Professor Finnis is the renown expert in the legal and moral philosophy. In his philosophical perspective, he established a strong credential to reintroduce the natural law known as neo-natural law. In short, the natural law denotes basic moral principles of human conduct based on the nature of human beings and the nature of the world. In its opposite, positive law is the law that instituted by legislature or court, based on the current condition which may be in opposition to the natural law.
In his view of neo-natural law, Finnis compared homosexuality to bestiality, according to The Guardian. Finnis also opposed abortion, calling it an “approved killing of vulnerable innocent human beings.”
Gorsuch studied law philosophy at the Oxford University in 1992 when he met Finnis and became close to him and his wife. He continued his close relationship with his mentor. Finnis’ view of natural law may have strong influence in his philosophy of originalism in understanding the U.S. constitution.
However, for liberals who have been opposing his nomination, Gorsuch’s relationship with Finnis is an opening to start further inquiries. The restatement of natural law from Finnis in the neo-natural law philosophy may have been a target to undermine Gorsuch nomination.
Watch the Oxford Conversation with professor Finnis as the influential teacher in philosophy of law below:
