Continuing my series of old book reviews that I am publishing while I am away in South Africa, here is my review of Roger Scruton’s The Uses of Pessimism, originally published in the Observer, 6 June 2011. Review of Roger Scruton, The Uses of Pessimism: And the Dangers of False Hope Observer, 6 June 2010 Two voices echo through Roger Scruton’s new book: those of Edmund Burke and Michael Oakeshott. A nation, wrote Burke, the founder of modern conservatism, ‘is a partnership between those who […]

Categories: Culture & Books, Philosophy & Ethics • Tags: conservatism, edmund burke, michael oakeshott, optimism, pessmism, roger scruton, thomas paine