Roger Scruton: The Philosopher on Dover Beach: An Intellectual Biography

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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 Part of the reason was that he was an unapologetic conservative in the tradition of Edmund Burke. That conservative instinct was sharpened during the Paris riots of 1968. From that point on Scruton set himself the task of stridently opposing what he termed the culture of repudiation'. In so doing he targeted liberals in the tradition of Russell and Mill, existentialists like Sartre and post modernists in the fashion of Foucault. Here is a brilliant description of Scruton's life and work and a careful analysis of his central ideas. Scruton defended an Hegelian and Burkean view of human nature, one founded on allegiance to the State as the guarantor of tangible freedom. He thus opposed any and all variations of the social contract theory, liberal or existential individualism or philosophical theories of the authentic' self in isolation from its kind. His conservative notion of the nation state was used to reflect upon and criticise the European Union, the United Nations and the idea that the Middle East can be reformed along Western democratic lines. 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 Scrutons life and offers careful analysis of his work. Considering how Scrutons 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 Scrutons 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.

Reviews

With clarity and grace, Mark Dooley's book 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 *

Author Bio

Mark Dooley is an Irish philosopher, author and journalist who has taught at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and at University College Dublin where he was John Henry Newman Scholar in Theology. He has been a columnist for both the Sunday Independent and the Irish Daily Mail, and is currently a Contributing Editor to The European Conservative magazine. His many books include The Roger Scruton Reader, Why Be a Catholic, Moral Matters: A Philosophy of Homecoming, and Conversations with Roger Scruton, all published by Bloomsbury. In 2022, he edited and published Against the Tide: The Best of Roger Scruton's Columns, Commentaries and Criticism. He is Sir Roger Scruton's literary executor.