Roger Scruton

Explore the life and intellectual legacy of Roger Scruton (1944–2020) — English philosopher, conservative thinker, aesthetician, and writer. Learn about his biography, core ideas, influence, and notable quotes.

Introduction

Sir Roger Vernon Scruton (27 February 1944 – 12 January 2020) was an English philosopher, writer, and public intellectual widely known for his work in aesthetics, political philosophy, culture, and conservatism.

He was prolific, authoring more than 50 books on topics ranging from architecture, art, music, politics, sexuality, and religion.

His work sought to defend tradition, beauty, the local, and the sacred in opposition to what he saw as the dehumanizing tendencies of modernity. He combined rigorous analytic philosophy with passionate advocacy — a rare mix that made him both influential and controversial.

Early Life and Education

Roger Scruton was born in Buslingthorpe, Lincolnshire, England on 27 February 1944.

He studied at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he completed a BA, MA, and later a PhD.

His early philosophical training laid the foundation for his interest in aesthetics, philosophy of mind, and culture.

Career and Contributions

Academic and Intellectual Life

• From 1971 to 1992, he taught at Birkbeck College, University of London, rising from lecturer to full professor in aesthetics.

• He held positions in the U.S. as a visiting scholar (e.g. Boston University) and engaged widely as an independent philosopher after leaving full-time academic posts.

• He founded The Salisbury Review, a conservative journal for political and cultural commentary.

Key Works and Ideas

Some of his most influential books include:

• The Meaning of Conservatism (1980) — one of his early statements on political philosophy.

• Sexual Desire (1986) — he examined love, eroticism, and sexual ethics in philosophical terms.

• The Aesthetics of Music (1997) — his major contribution in the philosophy of art and music.

• How to Be a Conservative (2014) — a more popular, accessible statement of his political and cultural ideals.

• The Soul of the World (2014) — explores the sacred, transcendence, and the spiritual dimension in the modern world.

• Conservatism: An Invitation to the Great Tradition (2017) — a later, concise restatement of his conservative framework.

He also worked in themes like architecture, heritage, landscape, animal ethics, and the concept of home and belonging, arguing that beauty and local attachments are vital to human life.

Public Engagement and Controversy

• Scruton wrote and presented the documentary Why Beauty Matters (BBC, 2009), in which he defended the importance of beauty in art and architecture.

• In government service, he was appointed to the UK’s Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission in 2019.

• His life was not without controversy: in 2019 he was dismissed from a government advisory role following allegations of making racist remarks, though some of those claims were later contested or clarified.

Philosophical Views & Central Themes

Conservatism, Tradition, and Continuity

Scruton argued that conservatism is not about blindly resisting change, but rather about conserving what is good, rooted in tradition, local institutions, and shared customs.

He distinguished reactionary from conservative:

“A reactionary is fixed on the past and wanting to return to it; a conservative wishes to adapt what is best in the past to the changing circumstances of the present.”

Aesthetics, Beauty & the Sacred

He was perhaps most celebrated for his work on beauty — his belief that encounters with beauty (in nature, art, architecture) point to values beyond utilitarian or instrumental thinking. Beauty, for him, has a kind of transcendental pull.

He advanced the idea of cognitive dualism in The Soul of the World: humans can be understood both as physical organisms and as subjective, meaning-seeking agents.

Religion, Transcendence & the Sacred

Though not strictly part of an orthodox tradition, Scruton embraced religious sensibility. He saw faith and the sacred as vital to cultural health, and believed that beauty often functions as a mediator to transcendence.

He argued that rational argument can only go so far in reaching faith; the “leap” into religious life often lies beyond purely rational discourse.

Moral Order, Community, and Place

Scruton emphasized that morality is embedded in local practices, rituals, and institutions. He was critical of abstract, globalizing ideologies that overlook the significance of rootedness, belonging, and social cohesion.

He also wrote on human attachment to home, land, architecture, and how these shape identity and societal stability.

Legacy and Influence

• Contemporary conservatism: Scruton is widely regarded as one of the leading English-language conservative philosophers of his generation, shaping debates about culture, modernity, and tradition.

• Aesthetic theory revived: His defense of beauty and the arts pushed back against purely instrumental or critical theory approaches in academia.

• Bridge between philosophy and public life: He was unusual in being a philosopher with strong public presence — he wrote for newspapers, engaged in documentaries, participated in public debates.

• Institutional honors: He was knighted in 2016 for his service to philosophy and public education.

• Inspiration & controversy: While many admire his clear style, some criticize his political stances, especially around identity and culture. But even critics often acknowledge the force of his intellectual seriousness.

Famous Quotes by Roger Scruton

Here are several quotes that reflect his core ideas:

1. “When truth cannot make itself known in words, it will make itself known in deeds.”

2. “Coming close to death you begin to know what life means, and what it means is gratitude.”

3. “A reactionary is fixed on the past and wanting to return to it; a conservative wishes to adapt what is best in the past to the changing circumstances of the present.”

4. “Happiness does not come from the pursuit of pleasure, nor is it guaranteed by freedom. It comes from sacrifice.”

5. “Without tradition, originality cannot exist: for it is only against a tradition that it becomes perceivable. Tradition and originality are 2 components of a single process.”

6. “Sense of sacrifice is good but only if you're sacrificing your own life; once you sacrifice another’s life you’ve overstepped the mark.”

These lines encapsulate his convictions on truth, community, beauty, sacrifice, and continuity.

Lessons from Roger Scruton

• Beauty matters deeply: In a culture inclined to dismiss aesthetics as secondary, Scruton insisted that beauty is central to human dignity and meaning.

• Tradition is not stagnation: True originality often emerges within tradition, not by rejecting it entirely.

• Place and rootedness ground us: Local attachments — to home, community, land — give identity and limit abstraction.

• Engage philosophy with courage: Scruton did not shy away from public controversy; he believed philosophy must speak to real life, not remain cloistered.

• Sacrifice and moral weight: He saw meaning in sacrifice and responsibility, rather than pure autonomy or pleasure.

• Dual nature of humans: Recognize humans both as biological beings and as meaning-seeking creatures — both matter in our thinking.

Conclusion

Roger Scruton stands out as a philosopher who bridged rigorous analytic thought and heartfelt cultural advocacy. Over his lifetime, he provoked, inspired, and challenged both supporters and critics. Whether one agrees with all his positions or not, his insistence on beauty, tradition, sacredness, and rootedness offers a counterpoint to the flattening tendencies of modern thought.