Roger Scruton: The Philosopher on Dover Beach
An Intellectual Biography
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published:28th Mar '24
Should be back in stock very soon
An updated edition of this intriguing portrait of Roger Scruton and his philosophy.
An intriguing portrait of Roger Scruton and his philosophy, with a new Preface and updated Bibliography of Scruton's many literary works over the years.
Roger Scruton was one of the outstanding British philosophers of the post-war years. Why then was he at best ignored and at worst reviled? In this intriguing portrait Mark Dooley brilliantly illuminates Scruton’s life and offers careful analysis of his work.
Considering how Scruton’s conservative instinct was sharpened during the Paris riots of 1968, Dooley explores why Scruton set himself the task of stridently opposing what he termed ‘the culture of repudiation’ and how he accomplished it.
Covering Scruton’s centrals ideas, such as his view of human nature, opposition of the social contract theory and criticisms of the European Union and United Nationals, Dooley argues that he was a prophet for our times – the one British intellectual who courageously rowed against the tide of liberal conviction and arrived at political conclusions the truth of which are becoming more and more obvious.
With clarity and grace, Mark Dooley'sbook fully captures the philosophical achievement of the late Roger Scruton. In its pages, Scruton's evocative account of the "life-world" truly comes alive. The world as Scruton describes it, the real world, the one available to the incarnate persons that we are, is one where free and responsible persons are accountable to each other, where sacred or holy things lift us out of our mundane selves, where beauty is real and not invented, and where politics is marked by law, loyalty, and settlement. As Dooley admirably shows, Scruton's urbane and humane thought dares to say "Yes" to our civilized inheritance, and to look up to what endures. Dooley's account of Scruton's life and thought remains a shining achievement, and one very unlikely to be surpassed in the coming years. * Daniel J. Mahoney, Professor Emeritus at Assumption University, and author of Recovering Politics, Civilization, and the Soul: Essays on Pierre Manent and Roger Scruton (2022) *
In this short, lucid study of Scruton's thought ... [Mark Dooley] mounts a powerful defence of an important thinker. Dooley covers all aspects of Scruton's thought, from sex and art to religion, politics and the defence of the nation. * Alex Moffatt, Irish Mail on Sunday *
Dooley's book aims to show that Scruton's ideas are proving more and more true to our current times. This is an important and challenging re-appraisal of an important philosopher. * Stav Sherez, Catholic Herald *
Sets out eloquently Roger [Scruton's] positions on politics and art - and explains why there was no one I ever commissioned to write whose articles who provoked more rage. * Sir Peter Stothard, Editor, Times Literary Supplement *
Beautifully written, clear, concise, restrained, Roger Scruton: The Philosopher on Dover Beach is a masterpiece of concise exposition, a model of clarification and, above all, a pleasure to read. For anyone who wants a comprehensive overview of Scruton's work, Dooley's book is indispensable. There is no other work of this kind on the market. Short of reading all of Scruton's writings yourself, there can be no better way to gain a clear understanding of this most significant of contemporary philosophers. * Yearbook of the Irish Philosophical Society *
Dooley makes a strong case for taking [Scruton] seriously and puts to rest the absurd and, thankfully, now less fashionable view that he is the 'unthinking man's thinking man'. * The Journal of Philosophy *
Dooley's erudite exposition of Scruton's thought is not only intellectually provoking but genuinely stimulating. -- Serge Grigoriev, Ithaca College, USA * The European Legacy: Toward New Paradigms, vol. 19 *
ISBN: 9781399414197
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
208 pages