Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch said he believes that the American people should not want him or his colleagues to rule the country, but should rather have the "battle of ideas" play out in the political arena.

"We wrote a constitution. We put down what we wanted to put down in it. We can amend it when we wish. And it is not up to nine people to tell 330 million Americans how to live," Gorsuch said in an extended interview with CNN Tuesday.

"Do you really want me to rule the country?" he asked.

Gorsuch, 52, said America is a "raucous republic" and that Americans should seek social change by getting involved politically.

The justice released a book this month titled A Republic, If You Can Keep It in which he argues for the judicial philosophy of originalism.

He was appointed in 2017 to fill former Justice Antonin Scalia's seat by President Trump. Gorsuch said he plans on upholding the late justice's belief in originalism.