A Political Philosophy

Roger Scruton presents a conservatism largely at odds with the American self-styled conservatives of libertarian or neo-con persuasion. Part of his presentation is based on the idea of the social contract as a form of trusteeship between the unborn, the dead and the (merely) living. This is a very persuasive Burkean view leading to all kinds of conclusions that will surprise American readers. For example, he devotes chapters to the morality of eating animals and the squandering of natural resources by the living generation. Consider this statement and compare it to the Republican Party's platform: "Environmentalists and conservatives are both in search of the motive that will defend a shared but threatened legacy from predation by its current trustees." That is, he argues forcefully that conservation (of both morality and the natural world) flows naturally from conservativism, an argument that would have him thrown off the WSJ's top floor. One of Scruton's great strengths is his unwillingness to bend his thought to a given political platform. In this regard, I see no similarity whatsoever with American neo-cons. Further, Scruton has a very sophisticated, historically-grounded theory of State (with traces of Hegel to boot), something wholly absent from contemporary advocates of America as an ideology and nothing more. This man is the thinking man's conservative, a creature long-absent in American thought. Let's hope he begins to make an impression here. Wonderful.

British philosopher Roger Scruton shows brilliance and great erudition in a collection of essays on marriage, death, religion, the nature of evil and 'Eliot and conservatism', for example. Quite a trip. Reminded me of Irving Kristol's fantastic 'Neo-Conservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea'. This was my first book by Scruton--I came across him in a co-ed piece he wrote to the Wall Street Journal--and fortunately he authored many others. Wikipedia says "he is widely regarded as the most important living British conservative philosopher", which is not at odds with the high caliber of these essays. The book also contains ample footnotes for those interested in his bibliography, and of course an index.