Sir Roger Scruton by Pete Helme

The de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture mourns the death of philosopher Sir Roger Scruton, who died of complications of cancer on January 12, 2020. Sir Roger was one of the foremost contemporary writers on aesthetics and political philosophy, penning works on philosophy, art, music, politics, literature, culture, sexuality, conservativism, and religion; he also wrote novels, two operas, and a television series entitled Why Beauty Matters.

A noted expert on wine, Sir Roger's 2009 book I Drink, Therefore I Am: A Philosopher's Guide to Wine argued that wine, drunk in the right frame of mind, is good for the soul, concluding that, "By thinking with wine, you can learn not only to drink in thoughts but to think in draughts." He presented further reflections on the themes of wine, philosophy, and aesthetics at our 2016 Fall Conference on beauty in a talk entitled, "Tasting, Relishing, and the Meaning of Wine."

May Sir Roger, and all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace.