A Finnisfest at Notre Dame

On Friday, I attended a conference at Notre Dame, organized by Gerard V. Bradley, celebrating the magnificent intellectual achievements of my doctoral supervisor and beloved mentor John Finnis, Professor of Law and Legal Philosophy at Oxford University and Biolchini Family Chair of Law at Notre Dame. The conference was timed to coincide with the publication by Oxford University Press of the second edition of Pofessor Finnis's masterwork, Natural Law and Natural Rights, and also the publication by Oxford of five volumes of Finnis's collected essays. Splendid papers addressing important themes in Professor Finnis's work were presented by Timothy Endicott of Oxford University (on Finnis and the philosophy of language), Joseph M. Boyle, Jr. of the University of Toronto (on Finnis and the ethics of killing), Patrick Lee of Franciscan University of Steubenville (on the moral status of nascent human life), John Keown of Georgetown University (on Finnis as the "new father of medical law"), Judge Neil Gorsuch of the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit (on Finnis on intention and the allocation of risk), Fr. Peter Ryan of Mt. St. Mary's (on Finnis and moral theology). I gave a paper on "public morality." Germain Grisez gave a moving presentation on his long and fruitful collaboration with Professor Finnis. In his own remarks, Professor Finnis offered, among other things, a moving tribute to his own mentor, the late H.L.A. Hart, who was Professor of Jurisprudence at Oxford.

The evening before the conference, I had the pleasure of speaking on "morality, rationality, and natural law" to the Notre Dame Law School Federalist Society. It was great to meet so many intellectually impressive young men and women who are determined to make an important difference in the world.  With such outstanding students and an exceptionally gifted and dedicated faculty, Notre Dame Law School these days is an inspiring place. It was wonderful being there.