- The Meaning of Conservatism (1980)
- The Politics of Culture and Other Essays (1981)
- A Dictionary of Political Thought (1982)
- Thinkers of the New Left (1985)
- The Philosopher on Dover Beach (1990)
- Modern Philosophy: A Survey (1994)
- An Intelligent Person's Guide to Modern Culture (1998)
- The West and the Rest: Globalisation and the Terrorist Threat (2002)
- England: An Elegy (2005)
- Culture and Human Nature (2007)
- Beauty: A Very Short Introduction (2009)
- How to Think Seriously About the Planet: The Case for an Environmental Conservatism (2012)
- The Soul of the World (2014)
- On Human Nature (2017)
- The Philosopher: A History of Western Philosophy (2019)
In addition to his books, Scruton has also written numerous articles for journals and magazines, and has given lectures and interviews on a variety of topics. He has also served as a professor of philosophy at the University of London, the University of Buckingham, and the University of St Andrews.