About Quote by Jonathan Turley
“There's a misconception about Barack Obama as a former constitutional law professor. First of all, there are plenty of professors who are 'legal relativists.' They tend to view legal principles as relative to whatever they're trying to achieve.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on legal philosophy, 2015
The quote challenges the mistaken belief that Obama taught constitutional law and notes that many scholars adopt a relativist view of law, shaping principles to serve goals.
In simple terms: It points out a false claim about Obama and describes legal relativism.
Question assumptions about expertise; recognize law can be interpreted flexibly.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- Academic discussions
- media reporting
- policy analysis
- public debates
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does labeling someone a relativist affect public trust?
- What are the risks of viewing law as purely goal‑driven?
Legal relativism can undermine objective standards and lead to selective justice.