Which statement reflects a philosophical and professional error with traditions?

• A. Resisting ethically mandated change because of long held beliefs is the correct approach
• B. The state of affairs existing in the past justifies continuing into the present
• C. To resist ethically mandated change because of long held beliefs or practices is an error
• D. Tradition should never be questioned

Answer: (C)

Traditions serve as guides, but they aren’t absolute in professional ethics. The main idea here is that ethical obligations can require changing established practices, even when those practices are long-standing. Clinging to tradition because it’s familiar or has always been done conflicts with core ethical principles that prioritize patient welfare, autonomy, justice, and nonmaleficence. When new evidence, guidelines, or normative considerations mandate a change to protect people or improve outcomes, resisting that change due to tradition is an ethical mistake. That’s why the statement that resisting ethically mandated change because of long-held beliefs or practices is an error best captures the issue. By contrast, relying on the past to justify continuing the present or insisting that tradition should never be questioned would fail to uphold the obligation to evaluate practices against ethical standards and adapt as needed.