Fools, Frauds and Firebrands

Eminent British philosopher and polymath Scruton gives a sharp-edged, provocative critique of leading leftist thinkers since the mid-twentieth century ... complex and erudite. * Publisher's Weekly US * Caustic, highly recherch, and simply great fun to read for the questing intellectual soul. * Kirkus Reviews * From the standpoint of a serious conservatism, it honestly assesses the political and philosophical contributions of the Left. The book also addresses what is likely our most pressing question: Can there be any foundation for resistance to the leftist agenda without religious faith?' * Catholic World Report * Since he no longer has a university career to protect, Scruton can now tweak the nose of academic leftism to his hearts content Scruton is at his best, (and funniest) when trying to make sense of [Alain] Badious weird confection historical materialism and Platonic mathematical theory. -- Jonathan Derbyshire * Prospect * The book is a masterpiece ... In crisp, sometimes brilliant prose, Mr. Scruton considers scores of works in three languages, giving the reader an understanding of each thinkers overarching aim and his place within the multifaceted movement known as the New Left. He neither ridicules nor abuses the writers he considers; he patiently deconstructs them, first explaining their work in terms they themselves would recognize and then laying bare their warped assumptions and empty pretensions. -- Barton Swaim * Wall Street Journal * I enjoyed this immensely, both for Scruton's dry, British wit as well as for the sheer breadth of intellectuals covered in his survey. * Against the Grain Blog * Highly recommended * Powerline US Blog * Here Scruton thoroughly and fairly debunks the ostentation, obfuscation, and terrible writing and downright deceitfulness of much of postwar Marxist-inspired philosophy. For Scruton the culprits are mainly from France and Germanybeginning with Sartre and carrying through to Foucault, Habermas, Althusser, Lacan, Deleuze, Gramsci, and Saidand he carries the attack forward to Badiou and iek. Even Galbraith and Dworkin take a few hits. Scruton writes from the perspective of an old-school conservative. His sympathies are with the virtues of the countryside and historically rooted associations of every sort, from churches and the US Constitution to volunteer fire departments, brass bands, and the local Grange. His personal point of view could be called sentimental but his arguments against his foes are substantial and deep. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE *

Sir Roger Scruton is widely seen as one of the greatest conservative thinkers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and a polymath who wrote a wide array of fiction, non-fiction and reviews. He was the author of over fifty books. A graduate of Jesus College, Cambridge, Scruton was Professor of Aesthetics at Birkbeck College, London and a visiting professor at Oxford University. Scruton died in January 2020.

Introduction 1 What is Left? 2 Resentment in Britain: Hobsbawm and Thompson 3 Disdain in America: Galbraith and Dworkin 4 Liberation in France: Sartre and Foucault 5 Tedium in Germany: Downhill to Habermas 6 Nonsense in Paris: Althusser, Lacan and Deleuze 7 Culture Wars Worldwide: The New Left from Gramsci to Said 8 The Kraken Wakes: Badiou and iek 9 What is Right? Index of names Index of subjects