**Tradition and morality are interlinked, but we should be critical of both at face value** • Traditions are a set of cultural beliefs and values, sometimes manifested as unofficial social rules, that are handed down through generations. We all internalise the traditions of our society and for many people, whether consciously or not, they form a framework for their ideas about [morality](https://eppc.org/publication/tradition-culture-and-citizenship/). • In Britain and the USA, the [common law](https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/CommonLawCivilLawTraditions.pdf) that governs our lives is founded on tradition. Berkley writes that “it is largely based on precedent, meaning the judicial decisions that have already been made in similar cases”; by many, tradition is regarded as a trustworthy way of making moral decisions. • However, over the past 100 years, our societies have changed dramatically. Many argue that the traditions that were once relevant or beneficial to society are no longer useful, and can instead be [discriminatory and damaging](https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/01/11/trouble-tradition), to our current world. Some believe that we must critically assess certain customs or ingrained beliefs in order to [progress society](https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/why-tradition-is-a-poor-excuse-for-unethical-practices/), and must not understand tradition as synonymous to what is right.