The Meaning of Conservatism - Softcover

Scruton, Roger

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1587315033 ISBN 13: 9781587315039

Publisher: St Augustine's Press, 2014

Synopsis

First published in 1980, The Meaning of Conservatism is now recognized as a major contribution to political thought, and the liveliest and most provocative modern statement of the traditional "paleo-conservative" position. Roger Scruton challenges those who would regard themselves as conservatives, and also their opponents. Conservatism, he argues, has little in common with liberalism, and is only tenuously related to the market economy, to monetarism, to free enterprise, or to capitalism. It involves neither hostility toward the state, nor the desire to limit the state's obligation toward the citizen. Its conceptions of society, law, and citizenship regard the individual not as the premise but as the conclusion of politics. At the same time it is fundamentally opposed to the ethic of social justice, to equality of station, opportunity, income, and achievement, and to the attempt to bring major institutions of society - such as schools and universities - under government control.

About this title

Review:

'...a marvellously lucid writer.' - Seamus Perry, Politics

From the Publisher:

TOC
Contents:

Preface to the Third Edition

Preface to the First Edition

Introduction: Philosophy, Policy and Dogma

The Conservative Attitude

Authority and Allegiance

Constitution and the State

Law and Liberty

Property

Alienated Labour

The Autonomous Institution

Establishment

The Public World

Appendix: Liberalism versus Conservatism

Notes

Index

ROGER SCRUTON is an academic philosopher who has been Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College London and at Boston University, Massachusetts. He is a writer and journalist and has published over twenty books, including philosophy, political theory, criticism and novels.

About this edition

• Publisher: St Augustine's Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1587315033
• ISBN 13: 9781587315039
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 220