Appeal to Tradition
Old does not mean right.
What it is
An appeal to tradition says a practice is right because it is old. Age is not a reason.
The argument needs evidence that the practice works, not just that it has survived. Sometimes old practices survive because no one questioned them.
An LSAT-style example
This example is original. It is not a real LSAT question.
Our firm has billed by the hour for forty years. So billing by the hour must be the best system.
The flaw: Forty years of habit does not show the system is best. Maybe no one ever tested an alternative.
How to spot it on test day
- Watch for 'we have always,' 'for decades,' 'time-tested.'
- Ask: is there evidence the practice works, or only evidence that it is old?
- Longevity can reflect inertia, not quality.
The right answer vs. the trap
The right answer
The correct answer says the argument defends a practice merely because it is traditional.
The trap
The trap may treat the history as data. History is data about what was done, not proof it was the best choice.
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