What are some conservative arguments in favour of tradition?

Tradition can be defined as Values, practices or institutions that have endured through time and, in particular, been passed down from one generation to the next. Conservatives are seen to support this for two main reasons.  Firstly, conservative scholar edmund burke called for the preservation of tradition on the basis that it bring security to society. Due to the sceptical outlook on life, conservatives argue in favour of order and stability because that brings security, however it is tradition that brings that order in the first place.  Secondly, G.K. Chesterton argued in favour of tradition on the basis that it respects the will of our ancestors. Tradition in this sense, reflects the accumulated wisdom of the past. The institutions and practices of the past have been ‘tested by time’, and should therefore be preserved for the benefit of the living and for generations to come. This is the sense that we should respect the actions, or ‘votes’ of the dead, who will always outnumber the living. This notion also reflects a darwinian logic. 

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Answered by Tom Z. Government and Politics tutor

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