Sir Roger Scruton, the English conservative philosopher, has passed away after a months-long battle with cancer at the age of 75.

Sir Roger Scruton’s family announced his passing with a statement on his website:

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Sir Roger Scruton, FBA, FRSL. Beloved husband of Sophie, adored father to Sam and Lucy and treasured brother of Elizabeth and Andrea, he died peacefully on Sunday 12th January. He was born on 27th February 1944 and had been fighting cancer for the last 6 months. His family are hugely proud of him and of all his achievements.

Tributes flooded in almost instantly to Sir Roger on social media:

Very sad news. Professor Sir Roger Scruton, the greatest conservative of our age, has died. The country has lost a towering intellect. I have lost a wonderful friend. pic.twitter.com/oEviNCozlO — Daniel Hannan (@DanielJHannan) January 12, 2020

Deeply sorry to learn of the death of Sir Roger Scruton. His work on building more beautifully, submitted recently to my department, will proceed and stand part of his unusually rich legacy. — Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) January 12, 2020

Western Europeans have lost one of our last great thinkers. Former Tory adviser and author Sir Roger Scruton dies at 75 after cancer battle https://t.co/00pyDQhszI — J. Davila-Ashcraft (@revjackashcraft) January 12, 2020

RIP Roger Scruton – a brave, great man https://t.co/mtgUKbTp7a — James Delingpole QC (@JamesDelingpole) January 12, 2020

RIP the great Sir Roger Scruton. A wise, challenging, thoughtful Conservative, in the keenest sense – treated appallingly in the past year by a dysfunctional and merciless culture. But what a legacy. — The People's Tim Dawson (@Tim_R_Dawson) January 12, 2020

https://twitter.com/EveKeneinan/status/1216424650869178370

We are very sad to announce that Sir Roger Scruton, who helped to found underground academic networks in Eastern Europe among many other things and who was a trustee of the Museum of Communist Terror, has died. pic.twitter.com/2p2CxWi85p — Communist Terror (@CommunistTerror) January 12, 2020

“It has been a grand adventure to be so hated by those who I hold in such contempt.”

—Sir Roger Scruton, God rest his soul. pic.twitter.com/HBGUPbAmCf — Andrew Beck (@AndrewBeckNYC) January 12, 2020

RIP Sir Roger Scruton, a man of immense courage, intellect and fortitude, whose loss we can ill afford in these narrow, conformist times. — Peter Hitchens (@ClarkeMicah) January 12, 2020

Even some on the political left were saddened by his passing:

Ohhhh. Roger Scruton has died. I disagreed with him about almost everything, but I think he was an honourable man. — Helen Pluckrose working on book until 15/1/20 (@HPluckrose) January 12, 2020

Roger Scruton (1944-2020). Of all the writers I disagree with, Scruton was among the most eloquent. A gifted exponent of the Tory sensibility, heir to Burke & Oakeshott. Much to disagree with (notably his shilling for tobacco companies) but still a fine writer, especially on art — Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) January 12, 2020

Others, however, were quick to post vile messages celebrating Scruton’s death:

roger scruton died lol — jay (@kngfthbch) January 12, 2020

Roger Scruton was at best, a joke, and at his worst, a racist and an advocate of date rape. See ya — Nominate Dawn Butler you fools (@RootLeftNews) January 12, 2020

rip roger scruton, down there in hell now with Thatcher, Jimmy Snuka, Milton Friedman and the rest of the lads — Wariotifo Classic (@wariotifo) January 12, 2020

Roger Scruton is a dead piece of shit — Rosewood Shoehorn (@apiarism) January 12, 2020

Roger Scruton is dead. Troll your local Tory. — Faster Bumbaclaat Kill Kill! (@thiccastley) January 12, 2020

Scruton had faced a difficult 2019. In April, he was subject to a vicious hit piece by the leftist magazine, the New Statesman, where their deputy editor George Eaton took a number of quotations from an interview with him out of context.

Sir Roger was slandered as being an Islamophobe, anti-semite, and overall bigot, despite the complete lack of evidence.

He was sacked from his position on the Conservative government’s housing program, designed to build more beautiful dwellings, and decried in Parliament and in the media, before the tapes of the interview was released and the truth was outed.

Unfortunately, the damage was already done.

With his passing, many were reminded of the article he wrote for the Spectator last Christmas, summing up his year: