Sir Roger's Philosophy
Sir Roger Scruton is probably the most important philosopher for me personally.
I think he has a great deal of intuition and it comes from his common sense, common man approach.
In his documentary, On Beauty, he makes an observation about the great artists of old, stating that they understood that human life was chaotic and tragic, but the remedy was found in beauty. It was almost a side note in the documentary.
This has been particularly poignant for me personally this week due to my cousin’s 9 year old child being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. I sometimes wonder if we are not living in a Hell with the occasional bright spots, or glimpses of a heaven, a Museum, a walk along a river bank, or even a flower give me opportunities to experience peace for just a little while. War, crime, suffering, and the seemingly apathetic response of our government give us little relief.
Things seem to be spinning more quickly than ever out of control.
So these brief moments of light give me and everyone fortunate enough to encounter them encouragement to look for the positive things that we can experience if we are able to perceive them. So, I love to walk by rivers alone just to reconnect with the things that give me peace, and get away from the things that take away the better aspects of human life. My photography eye looks for ordinary items to give me a brief break from everyday life.
South Mountains State Park, NC
Daisy after a morning rain.
I don’t know to what degree these brief moments help, but the definitely do not hurt.