An English philosopher who wrote on aesthetics, music, architecture, and politics, always defending the value of tradition. For him, the institutions, customs, and beauty we inherit are fragile and deserve care. He also acted as a cultural dissident, helping persecuted intellectuals in communist Europe in the 1980s.
Core ideas
We inherit valuable institutions and customs that are easy to destroy and hard to rebuild
Beauty matters: it gives meaning and consolation to human life
Love of home and of the local community is the basis of good politics
The tradition: Contemporary conservative
Contemporary conservatism values tradition, inherited institutions, and gradual change. Scruton was one of its most articulate and cultured defenders in the late twentieth century.
