This article is from the Conservatism FAQ, by Jim Kalb kalb@aya.yale.edu
with numerous contributions by others.
There are lots
of conflicting traditions. How can anyone know his own is the right one?
Comprehensive certainty is hard to come by. Our own tradition (like
our own reasoning) might lead us astray where another's would not.
However, such concerns can not justify rejecting our own tradition
unless we have a method transcending it for determining when that has
happened, and in most situations we do not. If experience has led us
astray it will most likely be further experience that sets us right.
The same is true of tradition, which is social experience.
Putting issues of truth aside, the various parts of a particular
tradition are adjusted to each other in a way that makes it difficult
to abandon one part and substitute something from another tradition.
A French cook will have trouble if he has to rely on Chinese
ingredients and utensils. Issues of coherence and practicality
accordingly make it likely that we will do better developing the
tradition to which we are accustomed than attempting to adopt large
parts of a different one.
our own reasoning) might lead us astray where another's would not.
However, such concerns can not justify rejecting our own tradition
unless we have a method transcending it for determining when that has
happened, and in most situations we do not. If experience has led us
astray it will most likely be further experience that sets us right.
The same is true of tradition, which is social experience.
Putting issues of truth aside, the various parts of a particular
tradition are adjusted to each other in a way that makes it difficult
to abandon one part and substitute something from another tradition.
A French cook will have trouble if he has to rely on Chinese
ingredients and utensils. Issues of coherence and practicality
accordingly make it likely that we will do better developing the
tradition to which we are accustomed than attempting to adopt large
parts of a different one.
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