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Princeton Essays on the Arts
The Aesthetics of Architecture
A landmark account of architectural theory and practice from acclaimed philosopher Roger Scruton
Architecture is distinguished from other art forms by its sense of function, its localized quality, its technique, its public and nonpersonal character, and its continuity with the decorative arts. In this important book, Roger Scruton calls for a return to first principles in contemporary architectural theory, contending that the aesthetic of architecture is, in its very essence, an aesthetic of everyday life. Aesthetic understanding is inseparable from a sense of detail and style, from which the appropriate, the expressive, the beautiful, and the proportionate take their meaning. Scruton provides incisive critiques of the romantic, functionalist, and rationalist theories of design, and of the Freudian, Marxist, and semiological approaches to aesthetic value.
In a new introduction, Scruton discusses how his ideas have developed since the book's original publication, and he assesses the continuing relevance of his argument for the twenty-first century.
Architecture is distinguished from other art forms by its sense of function, its localized quality, its technique, its public and nonpersonal character, and its continuity with the decorative arts. In this important book, Roger Scruton calls for a return to first principles in contemporary architectural theory, contending that the aesthetic of architecture is, in its very essence, an aesthetic of everyday life. Aesthetic understanding is inseparable from a sense of detail and style, from which the appropriate, the expressive, the beautiful, and the proportionate take their meaning. Scruton provides incisive critiques of the romantic, functionalist, and rationalist theories of design, and of the Freudian, Marxist, and semiological approaches to aesthetic value.
In a new introduction, Scruton discusses how his ideas have developed since the book's original publication, and he assesses the continuing relevance of his argument for the twenty-first century.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
23 people are currently reading
875 people want to read
About the author
Roger Scruton
139 books1,347 followersSir Roger Scruton was a writer and philosopher who has published more than forty books in philosophy, aesthetics and politics. He was a fellow of the British Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He taught in both England and America and was a Visiting Professor at Department of Philosophy and Fellow of Blackfriars Hall, Oxford, he was also a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington D.C.
In 2015 he published two books, The Disappeared and later in the autumn, Fools Frauds and Firebrands. Fools Frauds and Firebrands is an update of Thinkers of the New Left published, to widespread outrage, in 1986. It includes new chapters covering Lacan, Deleuze and Badiou and some timely thoughts about the historians and social thinkers who led British intellectuals up the garden path during the last decades, including Eric Hobsbawm and Ralph Miliband.
In 2016 he again published two books, Confessions of A Heretic (a collection of essays) and The Ring of Truth, about Wagner’s Ring cycle, which was widely and favourably reviewed. In 2017 he published On Human Nature (Princeton University Press), which was again widely reviewed, and contains a distillation of his philosophy. He also published a response to Brexit, Where We Are (Bloomsbury).
In 2015 he published two books, The Disappeared and later in the autumn, Fools Frauds and Firebrands. Fools Frauds and Firebrands is an update of Thinkers of the New Left published, to widespread outrage, in 1986. It includes new chapters covering Lacan, Deleuze and Badiou and some timely thoughts about the historians and social thinkers who led British intellectuals up the garden path during the last decades, including Eric Hobsbawm and Ralph Miliband.
In 2016 he again published two books, Confessions of A Heretic (a collection of essays) and The Ring of Truth, about Wagner’s Ring cycle, which was widely and favourably reviewed. In 2017 he published On Human Nature (Princeton University Press), which was again widely reviewed, and contains a distillation of his philosophy. He also published a response to Brexit, Where We Are (Bloomsbury).
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 28, 2020
Una potente critica a las ideas reduccionistas sobre la arquitectura desplegadas a lo largo del siglo XX.
Frente al énfasis exclusivo en el funcionalismo como patrón para evaluar la calidad estética de los edificios, Scruton contrapone la necesidad de considerar la congruencia perfecta entre detalle y estructura. Aquella íntima ligazón entre forma y parte que enriquece a los estilos arquitectónicos del pasado. Como ocurre en el gótico y en el clasicismo y ha desaparecido desde que se implantó el estilo internacional.
El ornamento no es delito.
Frente al énfasis exclusivo en el funcionalismo como patrón para evaluar la calidad estética de los edificios, Scruton contrapone la necesidad de considerar la congruencia perfecta entre detalle y estructura. Aquella íntima ligazón entre forma y parte que enriquece a los estilos arquitectónicos del pasado. Como ocurre en el gótico y en el clasicismo y ha desaparecido desde que se implantó el estilo internacional.
El ornamento no es delito.
June 21, 2019
Eyes open, looking up in reverence, stumbling towards the light.
Build us another Bath Roger.
Build us another Bath Roger.
April 25, 2022
Aprendi com esse livro que não vale a pena ler PDF pelo celular.
January 19, 2014
Scruton's reasoning can be dense and difficult to follow, but it all comes together at the end, and I found myself agreeing with his conclusions.
January 1, 2022
Couldn't keep my attention, mainly skimmed.
January 14, 2022
A masterpiece - but needs digital update
This book integrates architectural theory and philosophy in a way that was very helpful for me personally - my pathway being from familiarity with philosophy and other disciplines (psychiatry etc.) to the less familiar terrain of architecture. The structure is beautiful and uncluttered, the prose lucid, the examples plentiful and relevant. It is so well written as to be flattering to a newcomer in the field, despite the deep, somewhat eclectic, and interconnected nature of its themes.
it would be benefit from an update of the figures and plates: they seem to have been reproduced from the 1979 original, whereas higher resolution images, easily available online, would enhance the experience of the text on a modern device.
This book integrates architectural theory and philosophy in a way that was very helpful for me personally - my pathway being from familiarity with philosophy and other disciplines (psychiatry etc.) to the less familiar terrain of architecture. The structure is beautiful and uncluttered, the prose lucid, the examples plentiful and relevant. It is so well written as to be flattering to a newcomer in the field, despite the deep, somewhat eclectic, and interconnected nature of its themes.
it would be benefit from an update of the figures and plates: they seem to have been reproduced from the 1979 original, whereas higher resolution images, easily available online, would enhance the experience of the text on a modern device.
December 12, 2025
A tough read. I wasn't expecting so much philosophical aesthetics. Though, I can enjoy some of that, at times. Here Scruton presents a multitude of very helpful terms, criticisms, and ideas regarding aesthetics - and very precisely too. And his vision is an appealing one that ends with the centrality of the human within its community. He is in debt to Kant's vision of aesthetics that ends up objective but without a firm set of rules.
Really it opened my eyes to a lot of different aesthetic conversations and ideas.
Really it opened my eyes to a lot of different aesthetic conversations and ideas.
May 26, 2014
Very interesting read. This book is definitely more philosophy than anything, but if you're interested in architecture, aesthetics and philosophy and willing to invest some time it's great. Definitely not condensed
December 26, 2009
This is one of those books that reassures me I'm really not a philosopher! Thankfully, Scruton summarizes his argument at the end!
July 23, 2013
Dry as dust.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews