FOR FREE PEOPLE

Watch The Free Press Live!

FOR FREE PEOPLE

Things Worth Remembering: Conversation Is an Art

My late friend Roger Scruton played gracefully with ideas, even when it was dangerous to do so.

Welcome to Douglas Murray’s column “Things Worth Remembering,” in which he presents great speeches from famous orators we should commit to heart. Scroll down to listen to Douglas reflect on why his late friend, the philosopher Roger Scruton, was such a wonderful conversationalist.

One aspect of oratory I have not yet touched on in this series is the most common: the art of conversation.

Everyone has their own criteria as to what makes a good conversation. Wit is important, obviously. A delight in some higher or lower gossip is a personal preference of mine. The ability to listen as well as to talk, clearly; to be able to receive and not just transmit. But if I had to identify one thing that makes a conversation artful, it would be the capacity to play gracefully with ideas.

There is a place for passionate disagreement, of course, though I tend to think it should be reserved for public forums. I find it slightly disagreeable when anyone goes full-pelt over the dinner table, though on such occasions, as my friends would probably attest, I’m capable of putting my armor back on and gearing up for a fight.

Maintaining The Free
Press is Expensive!

To support independent journalism, and unlock all of our investigative stories and provocative commentary about the world as it actually is, subscribe below.

Subscriber Benefits:

  • Unlimited articles including weekly columns
  • Early access to live events
  • Access to the comments section

Already have an account? Sign in

our Comments

Use common sense here: disagree, debate, but don't be a .

the fp logo
comment bg

Welcome to The FP Community!

Our comments are an editorial product for our readers to have smart, thoughtful conversations and debates — the sort we need more of in America today. The sort of debate we love.   

We have standards in our comments section just as we do in our journalism. If you’re being a jerk, we might delete that one. And if you’re being a jerk for a long time, we might remove you from the comments section. 

Common Sense was our original name, so please use some when posting. Here are some guidelines:

  • We have a simple rule for all Free Press staff: act online the way you act in real life. We think that’s a good rule for everyone.
  • We drop an occasional F-bomb ourselves, but try to keep your profanities in check. We’re proud to have Free Press readers of every age, and we want to model good behavior for them. (Hello to Intern Julia!)
  • Speaking of obscenities, don’t hurl them at each other. Harassment, threats, and derogatory comments that derail productive conversation are a hard no.
  • Criticizing and wrestling with what you read here is great. Our rule of thumb is that smart people debate ideas, dumb people debate identity. So keep it classy. 
  • Don’t spam, solicit, or advertise here. Submit your recommendations to tips@thefp.com if you really think our audience needs to hear about it.
Close Guidelines

Latest