Sir Roger Scruton & Ben Weingarten discuss political unrest in the West & its historical context, the puritanical nature of progressivism & attempts by its adherents to stifle dissent, the imperative to defend free speech & more.
Watch the interview here.
"Conservatism can transmit the legacy of freedom, freedom that could be too much liberalism to be challenged by other ideologies." Roger Scruton
The witch-hunt culture.
Three years ago the distinguished biochemist Sir Tim Hunt, recipient of the Nobel Prize, Fellow of the Royal Society and one of the jewels in the crown of British science, made a casual remark, during a speech at a conference of science journalists, which seemed to imply that women and men might not be equally suited to a scientific career. The remark was tweeted, and the mob got to work on it. Very soon Sir Tim found himself forced out of his position as honorary Professor at University College London, reprimanded by the Royal Society, hounded in the press, and subjected to a hate campaign on social media. Eventually he and his wife (a scientist of the same rank as himself) left the country to work in Japan.
This deplorable episode is one of many, in which a person’s character, career and livelihood have been attacked in punishment for a thought-crime. Social media make matters worse, of course. But it would be wrong to put the blame wholly on the ease with which malice and ignorance can now extend their reach across the Internet. We must also take account of political correctness, which both promotes hatred and also excuses it.
The aim is to assemble a group of around 25 committed people, with a shared interest in culture and in all that is involved in passing it on. Each day will begin with a talk from Sir Roger followed by a discussion and the evenings will involve concerts, readings, or further discussion over wine. Provisional topics include the nature of philosophy, why beauty matters, the art of writing, figurative painting, the Western inheritance, the meaning of conservatism, musical order, real environmentalism, understanding wine and the life of friendship.
Opportunities to walk, ride and ponder in the beautiful local countryside will be many, and events will take place at the Scruton residence as well as at Cirencester.
The fee for the course will be £2,500 to cover board and lodging and all other costs, apart from travel to and from the event, which will be the responsibility of each participant. We will close the list of participants when we have twenty firm commitments, who have paid the deposit of £250 necessary to secure a place on the course.
To register your interest please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Journalists who find it difficult to follow intellectual arguments or to understand the use of irony may nevertheless be anxious to add to the indictment against me. I have made a preliminary survey in search of sentences that can be used out of context as evidence of crimethink and come up with the following interim observations:
Published by PolicyExchangeUK on 1 Nov 2018 Sir Roger Scruton has been appointed as the chairman of the Government’s advisory committee on Building Better, Building Beautiful. As part of the Building Beautiful Month at Policy Exhange, Syrian architect and author Marwa Al-Sabouni spoke on “The Loss of Home”. Marwa appeared in conversation with Sir Roger and was introduced by Tom Tugendhat MP.
In the wake of recent attacks I have taken the unusual step of posting on this site some tokens of appreciation, by way of encouraging those who value my contribution to the life of the mind. Outside Britain it is quite normal for my work to be appreciated, and as an example I have included the remarks from Professor Jürgen Stolzenberg, with which he introduced my recent lecture on Parsifal at the Siemens Foundation. (Apologies for not translating.) Inside Britain, where my every deviation from political correctness is noted down and stored for the next bout of denigration, praise is somewhat more rare. However, following recent attacks in Parliament and elsewhere, several writers have been kind enough to suggest that I have been unjustly treated, and I include some instances of their support.
Douglas Murray (The Spectator) - https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/11/the-ignorant-hounding-of-roger-scruton/
Owen Polley (Cap X) - https://capx.co/if-roger-scruton-cant-contribute-to-public-life-who-can/
and Toby Young (The Spectator) - https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/11/in-defence-of-roger-scruton/
News from Scrutopia
Much has been happening, and we thought it best to send out a newsletter somewhat ahead of time. Shortly after returning from America, Roger gave a lecture at the Siemens Foundation in Munich, on the topic: ‘What is Parsifal about?’ An audience of solid burghers listened politely and questioned tenaciously, so that Roger came away more than ever convinced that he has yet to understand either Wagner’s masterpiece or the German response to it. Nevertheless, work on Parsifal continues, and has been and will be for the time being the most important thing that is happening. There followed preparations for the re-launch of Roger’s literary career, to happen next year on or around his 75th birthday, an event that will surely take the world by storm if the other storm (see below) has not swept him into the Thames.
You can now watch and listen to Sir Roger on the Roger Scruton Official YouTube channel.
This new platform will be home to discussions, interviews and talks and a welcome message can be viewed HERE.
To contact The Roger Scruton Estate, please email:
contact@rogerscruton.com
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