Scruton's Philosophy of Culture
Elitism, Populism, and Classic Art
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4933012 |
|---|---|
| Authors | A Hamilton (0000-0001-7242-5209, The University of Western Australia, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 389-404 |
| Publication date | 2009-10-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The British Journal of Aesthetics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-0904 • E-ISSN: 1468-2842 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/aesthj/ayp035 |
| OpenAlex | W2159881797 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
Scruton is a self-confessed elitist for whom culture is 'the creation and creator of elites', though its meaning 'lies in emotions and aspirations that are common to all'. This article argues that one can uphold his humane conception of the value of high culture without endorsing elitism. It develops a surprisingly unelitist strand in Scruton's thinking into a meritocratic middle way between elitism and populism, in order to explain why art is in some sense an elite product, but with communal resonance. This aim is furthered by interpreting high culture in terms of the less elitist concept of the classic
Elite · Elitism · Meritocracy · Populism · Value (mathematics · Critical Theory and Philosophy · Social and Cultural Dynamics
| Citations per year | 0.33 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2017 - 2022 (6) |
| Highly cited | No |