How to Be a Conservative is a 2014 book by the English philosopher Roger Scruton, in which the author outlines the conservative ideology, its opposition to materialism, and argues how it can be applied to crucial contemporary issues.
Reception
Jesse Norman wrote in The Spectator: "There are occasional missteps and the odd mini-rant, but the book is highly engaging, and studded with insights into topics as diverse as international treaties, alienation and the nature of laughter."[1] In Standpoint, David Willetts wrote that the book "communicates a distinctive conservative disposition with great charm and formidable learning."[2] Willetts wrote that Scruton
is very good on the importance of autonomous institutions — what I called civic conservatism. But he is surprisingly uninterested in where this great tradition comes from or how it has changed over time. He appears to regard it as a happy and perhaps rather accidental gift from history. This means that his account of the role of Conservatives is rather passive and incurious.[2]