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Sir Roger Scruton: How to Be a Conservative

Hoover Institution・34 minutes read

Sir Roger Scruton, a prominent conservative intellectual, emphasizes the rarity of intellectual conservatives in academia and media due to left-leaning biases and the importance of traditional values, highlighting the tension between free markets and cultural conservatism. Scruton also addresses concerns over mass immigration without popular consent, Brexit's desire for democracy, and the need for a new treaty reflecting changing circumstances rather than solely withdrawing from existing ones.

Insights

  • Scruton highlights the scarcity of intellectual conservatives in academia and the press due to their left-leaning majority, which creates a bias against conservatism.
  • The Brexit referendum in the UK was driven by a desire for democracy and accountability, challenging the assumption that it was solely motivated by xenophobia, with over half and nearly two-thirds of UK laws originating in Brussels, leading to a lack of democratic control and social tensions stemming from mass immigration.

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Recent questions

  • Who founded modern conservatism?

    Edmund Burke

  • What book did Sir Roger Scruton author?

    How to Be a Conservative

  • Why does academia lean left?

    Hostility towards Traditional Values

  • What event influenced Scruton's conservatism?

    Paris protests in 1968

  • What did the Brexit referendum challenge?

    Not solely xenophobia or anti-immigration sentiments

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Summary

00:00

"Scruton: Redefining Conservatism for 21st Century"

  • Edmund Burke founded modern conservatism in the 18th century, while Sir Roger Scruton is redefining conservatism for the 21st century.
  • Sir Roger Scruton, a significant conservative intellectual, holds degrees from Cambridge and has authored over 50 books, including "How to Be a Conservative."
  • Scruton notes the rarity of intellectual conservatives in Britain and America due to academia's left-leaning majority and hostility towards Traditional Values.
  • The intellectual class often distances itself from mainstream society, leading to a bias against conservatism in academia and the press.
  • Scruton's conservative journey began in 1968 during the Paris protests, where he rejected the sentimentality of the student movement and embraced conservatism.
  • His visit to Poland and Czechoslovakia in 1979 exposed the fraud of socialism, leading him to support underground efforts against communist oppression.
  • Scruton emphasizes the need for a broad education, including history, literature, and religious traditions, to counter the Communist Party's exclusion of such knowledge.
  • Scruton's views on Margaret Thatcher reveal his admiration for her stance against socialism but criticism of her reliance on free market rhetoric.
  • Scruton highlights the tension between free markets and cultural conservatism, a theme present since Edmund Burke's time.
  • The Brexit referendum in the UK reflected a desire for democracy and accountability, challenging the notion that it was solely driven by xenophobia or anti-immigration sentiments.

18:19

EU Laws Impact UK Social Conditions and Identity

  • Over half and nearly two-thirds of laws in the UK Parliament originate in Brussels, created by bureaucrats unfamiliar with Britain's unique social conditions.
  • Resentment towards this lack of democratic accountability stems from the inability to decide on laws governing the country.
  • Mass immigration, particularly from former communist countries, without popular consent, led to social tensions in Britain.
  • Britain's infrastructure post-war attracted immigrants, impacting job competition, education, and housing rights for locals.
  • Suggested that Britain should have a new treaty rather than just withdrawing from the existing one, as treaties can hinder adaptation to new circumstances.
  • The European Union is criticized for its inflexibility due to outdated treaties governing modern nations.
  • Concerns over immigration, both legal and illegal, have led to social and economic challenges in various countries.
  • Liberal conceptions of sex, marriage, and family have faced resistance, with traditional values being undermined by liberal propaganda.
  • Donald Trump's election highlighted the neglect of the working class by the political and media elite, with Trump addressing unsayable truths.
  • The importance of territorial jurisdiction and national identity, not based on blood and soil, but on shared commitment to the land and laws of a country.

36:00

"Home, Borders, and Democracy: A Global Perspective"

  • Building a home involves inviting others who agree to follow rules, a reasonable stance often misconstrued due to left-leaning dominance in discussions.
  • Criticism arose over Trump's executive order on a temporary travel ban from seven Middle Eastern countries, including Muslim-majority ones, with the Catholic Bishops emphasizing the unchristian nature of border restrictions.
  • The right to exclude uninvited individuals from one's home extends to a larger scale, reflecting a fundamental aspect of democracy and human nature.
  • While Trump's mention of religion in the travel ban was against American tradition, his actions were within presidential powers, albeit with obligations to fulfill promises made.
  • The expansion of the state into civil society is a global trend, with the anglosphere still retaining elements of private education and free association, despite a significant tax burden supporting a bureaucratic system.
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