Argumentum ad Antiquitatum

or Argumentum ad Traditio - "The Appeal to Tradition"

Argumentum ad antiquitatum or argumentum ad traditio is the faulty but familiar argument that some policy, behavior, or practice is right or acceptable because "it has always been done that way."

This argument ignores the prospect that, even if something has been done effectively for a long time, it could still be done better or more efficiently. This fallacy is also known as the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" fallacy.

Though it may not be broken, it could be improved.

Do the powerlines in Manila's Chinatown work? Usually.

Should they be fixed? I'm going to go ahead and say, "YUP!"

Example:

"Why bother switching to wind or solar energy when burning coal has worked for generations? Seriously! If it ain't broke, don't fix it! I'm sick of debating this. Let's go squirrel hunting. Leave grandpappy's muzzle-loader there and grab my AR-15."

Check out 8:10-9:15 on the video above.

Example:

Old Man Warner in Shirley Jackson's 1948 short story "The Lottery" argues in favor of keeping the lottery. His support for his stance is rooted in the argumentum ad traditio fallacy.

Example:

"The 10-Year-Old Dell computers in the computer lab still turn on, so why replace them? Those computers worked great for the previous generation of QSI Haiphong grads, so they'll work well for you, too!"

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