John Finnis teaches in jurisprudence, jurisprudence and political theory, and constitutional Law. Professor of Law & Legal Philosophy since 1989, and a law tutor at University College since 1966. From 1972 to 1989 Rhodes Reader in the Laws of the British Commonwealth and the United States.
LL.B. (Adelaide); D.Phil. (Oxford) on the idea of judicial power, with special reference to Australian federal constitutional law, as Rhodes Scholar from South Australia at Univ. College (1962-5). Taught law at Berkeley, California, before returning to Univ. Also taught law at University of Adelaide, University of Malawi (head of law dept., on secondment from Oxford, 1976-78), and Boston College. Fellow of the British Academy. Advised a number of Australian governments on federal-State and UK-Australia constitutional relations; at the English Bar argued appeals in the Divisional Court and the Court of Appeal.
Wrote and annually updates the title on constitutional laws of the Commonwealth in Halsbury's Laws of England (4th ed.). Books: Natural Law and Natural Rights (OUP, Clarendon Law Series, 1980, 9th impression 1996); Fundamentals of Ethics (OUP & Georgetown UP, 1983); Nuclear Deterrence, Morality, and Realism (OUP, 1987); Moral Absolutes (CUAP, 1991); Aquinas: Moral, Political, and Legal Theory (OUP, 1998: xxi + 385 pp.). Recent essays include: "The Truth in Legal Positivism" in George (ed.), The Autonomy of Law: Essays on Legal Positivism (OUP, 1996); "Commensuration and Public Reason" in Chang (ed.), Incommensurability, Incomparability, and Practical Reason (Harv. UP, 1997); "Euthanasia, Morality, and Law" (debate with Ronald Dworkin) Loyola of Los Angeles L.Rev. 31 (1998) 1123-45; articles on the history and problems of legal philosophy, and on various legal philosophers, in Honderich (ed.), Oxford Companion to Philosophy (OUP, 1995); "Intention in Tort Law" in Owen (ed.), Philosophical Foundations of Tort Law (OUP, 1995).
Website:http://www.law.ox.ac.uk/fin.htm
I'm going to look at some of the things being said in high places to rationalise the established policy of allowing unborn children to be killed at their mothers' request, and the emerging, not yet established policy, of allowing children to be brought into existence for the purpose only of being used to provide spare parts for other people. Most of the ways of talking and arguing that I shall look at are evasions intended to mask what is being chosen and done. Hence my title.
Date posted: 2001-12-31