Posted on 08/07/2017 9:36:26 AM PDT by Jacquerie
Hundreds of articles and blog posts since the COS movement emerged a few years ago deal with the impossibility of reform emerging from those who profit so well from DC corruption. Other posts, like those scattered about this ArticleVBlog, examined the historic foundations of free government from the 17th century English philosophers down to our Revolution and Constitution.
When taken together, all the events and ideas which shaped the American psyche since publication of the King James Bible in 1611 may be grouped together by the term, ‘Tradition’.
Today, I appeal to that which gets so little attention, but is so necessary to our survival - the American Tradition. The spark for this squib is F.A. Hayek’s The Fatal Conceit (1988). Tradition, as related by Hayek, resides between instinct and reason. Instinct and reason are distinct from tradition. No amount of reason can produce tradition.
Why the importance of tradition? Tradition, customs, and norms of behavior called morals enable and are necessary to the continued existence of the civil society. Unlike totalitarian regimes, republics rest on the common, shared attitudes of the people toward that personal sphere of movement unhindered by anyone else, which we call liberty.
Tradition isn’t genetically passed on to us. We weren’t born with it. Neither can reason alone create tradition. Traditions are the societal, shared notions of right and wrong, of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. These unwritten laws are mostly the ‘thou shalt nots’ which tame the primitive instincts in everyone. If society is composed of citizens, families and their organic associations outside of government, civil society is one in which tradition guides and directs their peaceful and productive lives. Where allowed, tradition limits violence and assaults on our persons and freedom far more effectively than statutory laws.
(Excerpt) Read more at articlevblog.com ...
bump
i would have to argue the thought that no amount of reason can lead to tradition...
but a convention of states may be needed to reinstate the powers held by states and limitations on the federal beast.
The biggest fly on the ointment is that it will be the same political hacks who will put themselves forward to represent us at the COS.
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