Moral traditionalism

An action is right if it is supported by one's traditions. 

what's a tradition? our shared history. principles that are proved over time. 

(clearly if we are able to survive, traditions show to be essential tools for human survival). 

why?

1. traditions provide meaning, 

2. they guarantee adaptation to the environment, 

3. they ensure cultural flourishing.

where does tradition come from? 

traditions stem from customs, rituals & conventions.  

how?

each generation inherits the experience and culture of its ancestors and through convention and precedent man can pass it down to his descendants. philosopher Edmund Burke counsels: "The individual is foolish, but the species is wise". 

*the state of traditionalism is the achievement of the communal enterprise expressing the spiritual and organic qualities of the culture. 

*change cannot be imposed arbitrarily (think of the suppression of religion in the URSS for 80 years, only to come back with renewed force after the fall of communism). change flows naturally out of the traditions of the community. leadership, authority and hierarchy are natural products. 

*traditionalism respects the notion of hierarchies. a hierarchy is a communal ordering of group organization not imposed from above, but evolved in time.

hierarchies cannot happen overnight. they take time to happen (the lapse of time ensures that the hierarchy goes through a process of trial and error).  

human society is hierarchical (i.e. it always involves various interdependent inequalities, degrees classes, and political structures that recognize this fact prove the most just, thriving, and generally beneficial). hierarchy allows for the preservation of the whole community simultaneously, instead of protecting one part at the expense of the other. 

important traditional principles: 

 

1. back to nature! 

2. preserving the family, 

3. the conservation of natural resources and stewardship of the land, farm to table (artisanal food over processed food, etc). 

4. trade school or farming as alternatives to unemployment.

the economics of traditionalism favors economic mechanisms such as cooperatives and member-owned mutual organizations as well as small businesses.