Problem of tradition has long been considered as irrelenavnt for philosophy because of it´s sentimental value and habitual character. It was MacIntyre who undelined importance of tradition as such.
In my essay I will deal with tradition from MacIntyre´s point of view. First I will say what tradition is in common understanding. Second I will introduce MacIntyre´s thoughts of tradition by arguing what he consideres to be a tradition starting with mentioning what constitues a tradition. I will deal with language of tradition and I will mention development of tradition and then epistemological crisis in which can tradition fall. Third I will evaluate his arguments and also express my opinion about problems of tradition through my essay. In the end I will recapitulate what I have found out and mention what implications his point of view has.
Tradition is in common understanding considered to be a custom or practice thought by one generation to another. It is a set of customs or practices which is socially transmitted from the past. Tradition is “regarded as having authority in the present simply because it comes from the past, and encapsulates the wisdom and experience of the past“. It´s an oposition against change, it´s something which is inheritied and also something which has sentimental value for people.
However MacIntyre starts his reflections on tradition by saying “what I am, is what I inherit“, it means that every human being is part of history, has it´s own special and individual history, with it´s own past which affects his present life and also future life. From this follows, that even if we do not recognize it every human person is a bearer of particular tradition.
It is obvious that people are important parts of tradition, but it is necessary to say what else constitues a tradition before providing its definition so that we are able to comprehend what is understood by the definition given by MacIntyre. Tradition is also constitued by an arguments about pursuits of goods which give tradition particular purpose. These goods are provided after discussion about them between bearers of tradition within society or institution which becomes a bearer of a tradition of practice. From this follows that “a living tradition is historically extended, socially embodied arguement precisely in part about the goods which constitute tradition“. Pursuit of goods is beying extended through many generations by bearers of particular tradition.
But not every tradition can be strong and that´s why MacIntyre underlines importance of exercise of relevant virtues which can give strenght to tradition so that this tradition does not dissapear or disintegrate through generations. Tradition becomes living when it provides list of virtues, because when this is done it can help people ( which are part of this tradition ) to seek goods in their lives by providing practicies and individual lives with historical context. It means that when someone seeks good in his life he/she does it within tradition. Living tradition is also living “because it continues a not-yet-comepleted narrative, confront a future which deterninate and determinable character so far as it possesses any, derives from the past.“
It is obvious for me, that all the people are parts of particular tradition even if we do not recognize it, because we are born into particular community with it´s own beliefs, concepts of virtues which are part of the tradition. They affects us a lot, they help us to decide what to do, what is right, by providing explanations and examples with historical context.
Every tradition also has it´s own and individual language, it´s own terms by which beliefs of tradition are expressed. “Each tradition is embodied in some particular set of utterances and actions and tereby in all the particularities of some specific language and a particular culture“. It means that it is sometimes hard to understand a tradition when we do not know laguage which this tradition uses because this language is used in particular community in particular time and we might not know variety of linguistic expressions and idioms which are used. That´s why terms and idioms of some tradition are often tanslated to another language so that many people are able to comprehend what particular tradition wants to say. But this is often impossible, because no language can be translated to another with all its richness of expressions and vocabulary. That´s why misunderstanding of tradition appears so often.
I must agree, it is impossible to be able to translate everything from one language to another because each language has limitations. These limitation are not only in vocabulary but also in lateral meaning of sentences which can be hidden for those who do not speak every language as first language. This lateral meaning is often given to sentences by particular community and if we are not part of this community we may not understand what is the right meaning of the sentence.
Tradition also has it own standards, rationality, “catalogs of the virtues“ and beliefs. They may of course change through history, because every tradition goes through devemoplment, when it´s beliefs and standards are transformed because they can be recognized retrospectively as false after tradition which has reached certain stage in its development looks back and is able to identify its inadequacy and also to provide “a set of reformulations, reevauations to remedy inadequacies and overcome limitations“. “The falsity can also be recognized retrospectively as past inadequacy“ when the disrepancy between beliefs from past are contrasted with beliefs at later stage.
Each tradition can fall into epistemological crisis at some future time. This happens when agenda of unsolved problems of a tradition lacks a succes in making rational progress toward further stage of development. It means that tradition freezes on some point in it´s develpoment and is not able to move further, is not able to provide answers to key questions rationally. The only solution which can help to fight crisis is the invention and discovery of new concepts which will help tradition to find answers to question which could not be solved before. Tradition must provide new rich conceptual and theoretical framework. Tradition must also confess what it was, what rendered the tradition, it means that tradition must critically look at itself to be able to find what lead to epistemological crisis so that the tradition is able to rewrite its history. It is obvious that not every tradition can resolve epistemological crisis succesfully because of lack od resolution mentioned earlier. Such a tradition which is not able to find new concepts for itself is defeated.
I think that development of tradition is natural. If it did not develop it wouldn´t be adequate in present. Because as time goes by people change because of progress made within mankind. It means that beliefs and virtues change, and tradition must react to this changes so that it keeps its competence. If tradition did not develop it would die. Nobody would trust it, if it adhered to obviously wrong beliefs.
SUMMARY
I have argued in my essay that tradition is historically extended and socially embodied arguement, with it´s own conceptual framework, concepts of virtues, beliefs, standards and rationality. Each tradition davelops through ages and sometimes, when it´s developmet freezes, falls the tradition into epistemological crises which can defeat tradition if it cannot find any solutions for problems which caused this crisis.
If I am to compare tradition in common understanding with MacIntyre´s understanding of tradition it is clear, that Macintyre was right. Tradition is not oposition against change, because if tradition wants to survive it must adapt to present time and cannot strictly hold past ideas which are rusty. Tradition must be up to date so that it is attractive for it´s adherents. Tradition must develop.
I think that MacIntyre´s conception of tradition is very atractive because it puts tradition into different light. Tradition is not sentimental anymore and becomes rational and on the other hand it underlines importance of historical backgroud of every tradition so that we are able to understand why exactly we share particular beliefs, virtues and standards, so that we are able to lean on facts when having a debate for example with adherent of different tradition. Tradition becomes a “shelter“ for people which can help them to sovle their problems and help them to decide what to do.
Used literature:
- MACINTYRE, A.: After Virtue, Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1985
- MACINTYRE, A.: Whose Justice? Which Rationality?, Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1988
- Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, London, Version 1.0, 1998
- Oxford Wordpower Dictionary; for learners of English, Oxford Uviversity Press, 1998 ISBN 0 19 431386 7
Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Version 1.0, London: Routledge
