The intellectual trajectory of Roger Scruton was solidified during the May 1968 student protests in Paris, where he observed activists overturning vehicles and smashing windows. Witnessing this unrest shifted his perspective, leading him to reject the Marxist rhetoric of the demonstrators and embrace a conservative political philosophy that defined his career as a writer and academic.
Academic Foundation
Born in Buslingthorpe in 1944, Scruton attended The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, before entering the University of Cambridge. He earned his doctorate there, having shifted his studies from natural sciences to philosophy. His early career included research positions at Cambridge between 1969 and 1971, followed by a tenure at the University of London, where he taught from 1971 to 1992.
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Scruton published over 50 books throughout his life, covering diverse subjects including aesthetics, literature, political science, and music. His significant publications include The Meaning of Conservatism, Sexual Desire, The Aesthetics of Music, and How to Be a Conservative. Beyond his writing, he contributed frequently to media outlets such as The Times, The Spectator, and the New Statesman.
International Engagement and Recognition
In the 1980s, Scruton established underground academic networks in Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe. This work earned him the Czech Medal of Merit in 1998, a year he also received an honorary doctorate from Masaryk University. Later in his life, he held various academic roles at Boston University, the University of St Andrews, and the University of Oxford.
Final Years
In 2019, Scruton was awarded the Silver Medal of the President of the Senate and the Commander with Star of the Order of Merit of Hungary. He served as Chairman of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission from 2019 until his death in 2020 at Brinkworth. He remained a member of the British Academy and the Royal Society of Literature until the end of his life.
Fast facts
- Born: 1944, Buslingthorpe
- Died: 2020, Brinkworth
- Citizenship: United Kingdom
- Field: Philosophy, aesthetics, political science
- University of Oxford employment: 2009-2020
- Member of: British Academy, European Academy of Sciences and Arts
- Religious affiliation: Anglicanism
Questions readers ask
What was the core of Scruton's political philosophy?
He was a proponent of conservatism, a stance he developed after witnessing the 1968 student protests in France.
Did Scruton hold academic positions outside the United Kingdom?
Yes, he was a Professor of Philosophy at Boston University from 1992 to 1995 and held other temporary academic posts in the United States.
Achievements
- Czech Medal of Merit — 1998
- Fellow of the British Academy
- Silver Medal of the President of the Senate — 2019
- Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
- Held posts at Boston University, University of London and University of Oxford
- Fields: aesthetics, philosophy and political science
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