Concluding comments: Edward Shils – the ‘outsider’

This concluding chapter builds upon the notion of “outsider” that Stephen Turner employed in his Introduction and it assesses Edward Shils’ life and his accomplishments. It is difficult to accurately access Shils’ personal life given that he was a very private individual but he appeared to have been relatively satisfied in his personal relations. And, while it may seem that his professional life was not as successful as he would have liked because he was never to write that “great book” that he had dreamed of writing. Nonetheless, the books and articles that he did write have had a lasting impacting—not just in sociology but in other disciplines. Shils transcended boundaries because he believed in transcendence. For those who believe in such notions as civility, liberty, and tradition, Edward Shils is an impressive transcendent thinker and scholar.