Kathleen Stock, Sir Noel Malcom, John Gray, and Curtis Yarvin delivered the Oakeshott Lectures, formerly known as Scruton Lectures, in Oxford this month. The lecture series, established in 2021, states that its aims are to “keep thoughtful conservatism alive”. Previous speakers have included Peter Thiel, Douglas Murray, and Katherine Birbalsingh.
The lectures, free to attend and hosted in the Sheldonian Theatre, bring together academics, writers, and public thinkers to discuss ideas in the tradition of conservative political philosophy. A corresponding YouTube channel makes past and current lectures accessible to an online audience. The talks are not officially affiliated with the University, and the Sheldonian Theatre is rented out privately in order to host them.
The series is named after Michael Oakeshott, the conservative philosopher. Its previous name memorialised Roger Scruton, another conservative philosopher. ConservativeHome reported that the name was changed following “a request from the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation”. The Foundation only lists the lectures which were given under the old name on its “Events” page. It is unclear whether they continued as the organisers of the lectures following the change.
The philosopher Kathleen Stock gave a lecture about assisted dying on Monday 20th October. Introduced as an emblem of “safety in public life”, Stock’s talk was titled “Against the Organisation of Assisted Death”.
Stock focused on the moral question of mercy, askeing whether assisted suicide is genuinely merciful in practice. She argued that, in countries where euthanasia has been legalised, the process has shifted from personalised doctor-patient relationships, where “the doctor knew the person very well”, to a more bureaucratic, impersonal system.
The former philosophy professor challenged the eligibility criteria often emphasised in assisted-death legislation: that one must have a terminal diagnosis of six months or less, be confirmed by two doctors, not be coerced, and be mentally capable. She warned that even with those safeguards, hidden forms of coercion may infiltrate the system.
Stock questioned why those whose role it is to save lives should ever be the ones deciding to end them. She also expressed a fear that in time people will feel compelled, implicitly or explicitly, to choose assisted death, especially if cost-benefit arguments or resource constraints come into play. Stock contended that the long-term costs (ethical, social, emotional) may well outweigh the benefits that are currently emphasised.
Stock’s talk proceeded without disruption, in contrast to her last public event in Oxford. Her 2023 appearance at the Oxford Union was interrupted by a protester who glued themself to the floor, in opposition to Stock’s ‘gender-critical’ views on transgender people. Her 2023 appearance also sparked large protests, including chants of “Terf lies cost lives”.
Stock’s lecture was followed by Curtis Yarvin, who gave a lecture in support of monarchism on Wednesday 23rd October. Titled “The End of the End of History”, Yarvin contended that liberal democracy contained two contradictory impulses, towards meritocracy and populism respectively. The American blogger, who has been described as “the philosopher behind JD Vance”, recommended instead a “new Platonic guardian class” to govern society, inspired by a form of “accountable monarchy” he identifies in corporate leadership structures.
The talk included an extended discussion of the “lab leak” theory for the COVID-19 pandemic. Yarvin argued that this theory, which remains contested, is evidence of the failure of “normal science”, and therefore of meritocracy. In contrast, as an argument against populism, Yarvin referenced a famous New Yorker cartoon which depicts an airline passenger shouting: “These smug pilots have lost touch with regular passengers like us. Who thinks I should fly the plane?”
Yarvin, widely described as “reactionary” and “alt-right”, is a controversial figure known for his incendiary statements. During the talk, Yarvin described himself as a “Trumptard”, and appeared to make a joking reference to Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist killed in Saudi Arabia’s Turkish consulate in 2018.
All talks were followed by onstage discussions. Stock was joined by the Oxford theologian and House of Lords peer, Nigel Biggar. Yarvin debated the historian David Starkey, who delivered an Oakeshott lecture in 2024. Noel Malcom was joined by Lord Dan Hannan on the subject of human rights, whilst John Gray had a discussion with History Professor Robert Tombs on the English revolutionary tradition.
The University declined to comment. The Scruton Foundation did not respond to a request for comment.
