Against the Tide : The Best of Roger Scruton's Columns, Commentaries and Criticism

'His moral courage shines through from the start.' - Sunday Telegraph The definitive edition of the late Sir Roger Scruton's philosophical and political essays and reviews, now collected in one volume. The philosopher Roger Scruton was the leading conservative thinker of the post-war years. In this book are assembled the very best of his essays and commentaries, arranged thematically. The selection has been made and edited by Mark Dooley, Scruton's literary executor. Throughout this collection, Scruton proves himself to be at his most scintillating and controversial. He writes with passion and conviction about such varied topics as feminism, racism, fascism, Tony Blair and Donald Trump, as well as subjects like global warming, music and architecture. He takes aim at those who defy conservative common sense in favour of liberal falsehoods. This book shows Scruton at his most brilliant and demonstrates how his influence will remain strong and enduring. Title Page Copyright Page Contents Preface: The Work That Must Be Done Part 1: Who Am I? My Life Beyond the Pale Roger Scruton Says ‘Put a Cork in It’ My Week: July 2005 My Week: January 2006 My Week: April 2006 The Flame That Was Snuffed Out by Freedom Finding Scrutopia in the Czech Republic Diary – August 2016 Part 2: Who Are We? The Conservative Conscience The Blair Legacy A Question of Temperament The Meaning of Margaret Thatcher Identity, Marriage, Family: Our Core Conservative Values Have Been Betrayed What Trump Doesn’t Get About Conservatism Part 3: Why the Left Is Never Right The Ideology of Human Rights Who is a Fascist? In Praise of Privilege A Hominist Homily In Loco Parentis McCarthy Was Right on the Red Menace A Focus of Loyalty Higher than the State The Art of Taking Offence Part 4: Intimations of Infinity De Anima A Matter of Life and Deathlessness Dawkins Is Wrong about God Altruism and Selfishness Memo to Hawking: There’s Still Room for God Humans Hunger for the Sacred: Why Can’t the New Atheists Understand That? Part 5: The End of Education The Virtue of Irrelevance The Open University and the Closed Mind The End of Education The Plague of Sociology Know Your Place Universities’ War against the Truth Part 6: Fraudulent Philosophy A Note on Foucault The Triumph of Nothingness Freud and Fraud If Only Chomsky Had Stuck to Syntax Part 7: The West and the Rest In Memory of Iran The Lesson of Lebanon Decent Debate Mustn’t Be the Victim The Wrong Way to Treat President Putin Why Iraq Is a Write-Off Part 8: Cultural Corruption The Art of Motor-Cycle Maintenance Temples of Anxiety The Modern Cult of Ugliness High Culture Is Being Corrupted by a Culture of Fakes Part 9: Animal Rights, Pulpit Politics and Sex Male Domination The Pestilence of Pulpit Politics On the Eating of Fish Obligations of the Flesh Eat Animals! It’s for Their Own Good Sextants and Sexting Tally Ho! Let the Hunt Remind Us of Who We Are Part 10: Annus Horribilis and Last Words Diary After My Own Dark Night My 2019 January February March April May June July August and September October November December Index Philosopher Roger Scruton was the leading conservative thinker of the post-war years. His public pronouncements were prophetic and provocative. Dooley, Scruton's literary executor, has assembled the best of Scruton's essays and commentaries, arranged thematically. Writing with passion and conviction, Scruton takes aim at those who defy conservative common sense in favor of liberal falsehoods