Jeremy Stangroom

FWIW, my take on Scruton's conservatism: 1. Yeah, Edmund Burke is pretty much right about the dangers of top down change motivated by a political philosophy derived from first principles. (I've thought that for years.)

2. Scruton is right about the abject failure of the revolutionary/socialist left to say anything at all of any substance about the nature of an emancipated post-revolutionary society. (It's a joke, frankly.)

3. Scruton is right to emphasize the importance of the rule of law as a protection against the tyranny of the state (and corporate bodies). Check out how The Times reacted (in 1819) to the Peterloo massacre - it's a fabulous illustration of the importance of the law.

4. But he's way too sanguine about the horrors, both extant and historical, of Western societies. Nothing about grinding poverty, absent life chances, exploitative labour practices, etc.

5. His idea that human beings need to cultivate the spiritual side of their nature in order to escape the vapidities of consumerist society is utterly unconvincing. Not going to to work, mate, that's even assuming we have a spiritual aspect (which we don't).

6. His attempt to defend prejudice is just a bad argument - not even coherent, as far as I can tell - and doesn't do him any favours. Jettison it, it my advice. It's unnecessary, and doesn't help the conservative cause.

7. He correctly argues that lefty intellectuals tend to obfuscate & retreat behind slogans and sophistry when asked difficult questions. But conservatives do the same: What about slavery? What about vicious religious intolerance? What about entrenched racism?

Does Roger Scruton support slavery, religious intolerance, or racism?