Roger Scruton's Blog, page 12

Scrutopia Book Club

Scrutopia Book Club 

Join us on Wednesday 29th July at 2pm GMT for the first in our series of virtual book club meetings. Register your interest with me via email: izzy@rogerscruton.com

What to read: 

‘Alberti and the Art of the Appropriate’ from The Classical Vernacular – Architectural Principles in an Age of Nihilism 

The chapter is ten pages long and originally appeared as an article in the Times Literary Supplement (1977). It was written at the time when Roger was making his name as a sp...

Wagner’s Parsifal by Roger Scruton review – in defence of the insufferable - The Guardian, 30 May 2020

Wagner’s Parsifal by Roger Scruton review – in defence of the insufferable. Stuart Jefferies for The Guardian.
Nietzsche famously called Wagner’s last opera poisonous, but does its theme of redemption offer an antidote to our ills?

Read the full article HERE

News from Scrutopia - 29 May 20

Click HERE to read the latest from Scrutopia.

When freedom came, God disappeared- Standpoint, 22 June 2020

Shortly before his death in January this year, the philosopher Sir Roger Scruton had completed an opera libretto, called An Angel Passes. It is now being set to music by the distinguished composer David Matthews, who has commented on its excellence as an operatic vehicle, perhaps in part because Scruton was himself the composer of two operas. To my mind, even as a bare libretto, An Angel Passes encapsulates some of Scruton’s most profound and revelatory thinking, nowhere more so than in the enig...

A Path for us all - The Critic, June 2020

When Roger Scruton was decorated by Victor Orbán at the Hungarian Embassy last December, most of those present knew that this might be the last time we would see him in this world. Scruton himself knew that he was losing his battle with cancer. Yet he was still hopeful that he would enjoy some remission.

He gave a gracious acceptance speech, and afterwards had cheerful words of comfort for the close friends gathered there to honour him. The pictures taken at that last public appearance, however...

Roger Scruton: A brief personal history of a great man - The North American Anglican, 6 May 20

Roger Scruton: A brief personal history of a great man by James Bryson http://northamanglican.com/roger-scruton-my-encounter-with-a-great-man/

James Bryson is a Humboldt Fellow in the Catholic Theology Faculty at the Ludwig Maximilian's University in Munich where is writing a history of love in the tradition of Christian Platonism. Previously Dr. Bryson has held positions at McGill and Cambridge. He is the author of The Christian Platonism of Thomas Jackson (Peeters, 2016) and editor of...

Sir Roger Scruton, in memoriam: A Platonic Tribute - Die Bärliner, 12 May 20

Sir Roger Scruton, in memoriam: A Platonic Tribute by Ewa Atanassow https://blog.berlin.bard.edu/sir-roger-scruton-in-memoriam-a-platonic-tribute/

Ewa Atanassow joined The Bard College, Berlin as a full time faculty in 2008. She teaches in the Core and the Ethics and Politics programs.

Obituary of Sir Roger Scruton - Arbeit An Europa, 22 Jan 20

An Obituary of Sir Roger Scruton by Samuel Hughes https://arbeitaneuropa.com/2020/01/22/obituary-of-sir-roger-scruton/

Samuel Hughes is a philosopher working primarily in aesthetics.  He is about to begin a Research Fellowship at the University of Oxford.  He was educated at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and has spent time as a visiting researcher at the University of Tokyo, the Humboldt University of Berlin, and the University of Notre Dame.  During the last...

Wagner's Parsifal - Virtual launch party

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy our virtual launch video, recorded in celebration of the launch of Roger's book Wagner's Parsifal: The Music of Redemption. 

Published by Allen Lane/ Penguin on Thursday 7th May, we we joined by friends, family, philosophical and musical colleagues for this most wonderful event. 

Book reviews will be published here in the next few days.

To order a copy of Wagner's Parsifal, please visit our Bookshop.   

Scrutopia Summer School Announcement

Following on from the Governments latest COVID-19 public statement we are sorry to announce it is not possible to hold the Scrutopia Summer School between the 29th July and 7th August this summer. We feel the Summer School is all about friendship, socialising and intimate seminars which would be difficult to conduct in our present situation. In addition, air travel is likely to be extremely difficult.

This is an unprecedented and challenging time for everyone and the health, safety and...