Where does the author place the burden of proof?
Defenders of old customs often say that a practice's age is itself a reason to keep it: it has survived because it works, and people are attached to it. There is something in this. Customs embody lessons that no individual could rediscover in a lifetime, and they give communities a shared identity. But survival is not proof of goodness. Many practices survived for centuries because those who suffered under them had no voice. A tradition should therefore be given a presumption in its favour, not immunity. The presumption can be overturned by showing that it causes serious harm, but the burden is on the critic, and the critic should show the harm and not merely say that the practice is old-fashioned.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. On the critic, who must show harm and not merely say that the practice is old-fashioned
- Step 1: The passage says the burden is on the critic.
- Step 2: The critic must show harm.
Answer
On the critic, who must show harm and not merely say that the practice is old-fashioned.
Why not the others: The burden is on the critic, not on the defender to prove age, not on the community voting, not on the government protecting customs and not on a historian dating the practice.
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