Lenore T Ealy

I was honored to be invited to contribute a chapter to this collection exploring the thought of the late social philosopher Edward Shils.  My chapter, “The Recovery of Tradition,” discusses Shils’ distinctions between ‘civil amnesia’ (a disconnection from the past often spurred on by the relentless modern drive for innovation, social change, modernization); ‘traditionalism’ (a sort of nostalgic turning from the present to the past) and ‘traditionality’ (a healthy relationship with the past that acknowledges and receives with appreciation a heritage of reliable patterns of action and belief and yet seeks fresh adaptations of our traditions to changing circumstances in time and place).