It is with great sadness the editor and staff learnt of the death of Sir Roger Scruton who edited the Salisbury Review for many years. We will be publishing an appreciation on line and an obituary in the spring edition of the magazine.
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Sir Roger was “simpistic” (he called nonsense nonsense) and “extraordinarily” (very) “problematic” (evil) (he wasn’t a leftie). His works were “damaging” (might make students think leftism is wrong) and “reactionary” (not commnist).
Academic and “intellectual” speech tosay is like the old “Pravda”, when you had to read between the lines to know the truth, e.g., what it really means the USSR “liberated” some country or “helped the workers” there ,
As someone who studied in British universities in the 1960s & 70s it was inevitable that only a vision of the left was rational and acceptable. Fortunately I did not live in a deep freezer but in the world, and gradually saw the uniqueness of Roger Scruton. As the orthodox Liberal Benedetto Croce iused to say in Italy during Fascism the Left has much to learn, and still has from Sir Roger. I have not stopped learning and reviewing.
While despairing of the mediocre and obscene nonsense passing for art, I came across the calm, educated tones of Sir Roger Scruton, wittily condemning a building as being “built by vandals”. Alas, I did not watch the documentary while alive, but will do so in his honour. Rest in peace, Sir!
Sir Roger’s wonderful documentary ‘Why Beauty Matters’ should be required viewing for everyone!
Sir Roger gave lectures in philosophy in the Czech Republic and Poland during the Cold War, at some personal risk. If he’d been a liberal doing this in South Africa or Chile under Pinochet we’d have Tom Hanks playing him and winning an Oscar for his portrayal of such individual bravery. In England, alas, we have the Lilliputians of the New Statesman and the Guardian bringing him down to their level. Sir Roger was a force for good and he will be much missed.
*Sorry, that should be Czechoslovakia (as was).
Sir Roger Scruton, a man whose intellectual acuity was equalled only by the courage of his convictions, is being mourned here in Australia in the quality press – which is to say, deeply but not widely.
R.I.P.
Thankfully, the Wall Street Journal — a very credible and widely circulated American newspaper — has an obituary for Sir Scruton.
Here in Brazil Sir Scruton was one of the main voices that encouraged the conservatives during their long battle in order to elect Jair Bolsonaro as Brazil’s president in 2018, and moreover to support him during the hard year of 2019. Many of Sir Scruton’s books were translated to portuguese and became mandatory reading among us. We are very sad for this painful loss.
João Fabio Cese: I wish Sir Roger’s writings had had such a beneficial effect in his native land. The UK needs a Bolsonaro, not a Boris!
I vividly remember reading the very first issue of the Salisbury Review in the Oxford Union Society library, and being astounded to discover that there were intelligent grown-ups whose Weltanschauung was similar to mine. My lifelong conservativism owes a lot to Sir Roger. And what a thoroughly decent, honest and likeable man he was! May he rest in peace.
A gentle voice of English reason against shrill and spiteful charlatans; a great loss to civilisation which we can ill afford.
Hear, hear and well stated Roger Scruton was a gentleman of the first order! The impact of his gentle, but powerful voice in defending both truth and western civilization is immeasurable.