Appeal to tradition
Argues something is correct simply because it has always been done that way.
Specimen
This method has served us well for over a century . There's no good reason to change it now.
Fabricated passage — teaching example designed for clarity.
appeal to tradition — longevity substituted for evidence of current merit
Dissection
This method has served us well for over a century. There's no good reason to change it now.
- duration ≠ quality
- context may have changed
- burden of proof reversed
Field notes
- Family
- Logical fallacy
- Habitat
- policy commentary, cultural opinion, institutional statements
- Frequency
- found in 6% of analyzed articles
- Confused with
- Appeal to novelty , Circular reasoning
In the wild
"Our institutions have endured for generations. We tamper with them at our peril."
Editorial, national broadsheet, February 2026
"This curriculum has produced excellent graduates for decades. Why fix what isn't broken?"
Opinion piece, education publication, April 2026
Why it works
Familiarity and longevity feel like validation. The argument avoids having to demonstrate current relevance.
Counter-move
Ask: does the context today match the context when this was established?
See it flagged in real articles while you read.
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