antitraditionalism

Antitraditionalism is a stance or mode of thought that challenges or rejects established traditions, practices, and authorities as sources of knowledge, value, or social organization. It encompasses critiques of inherited norms across philosophy, religion, politics, and the arts, and it often seeks to prioritize innovation, individual judgment, and experimentation over continuity with the past.

In philosophy and social thought, antitraditionalism questions teleologies rooted in custom or authority, arguing that tradition can impede inquiry, moral progress, or democratic equality. It does not universally reject all forms of experience, but treats inherited norms with scrutiny, preserving or revising them through rational examination, empirical evidence, or open debate.

In religion, antitraditionalism may challenge dogmatic creeds, clerical hierarchies, or liturgical rites, favoring personal spirituality, reformist theology, or secular alternatives. In the arts and culture, antitraditionalism is associated with the modernist and avant-garde movements that break with classical rules of form, technique, or representation—such as experimentation with abstraction, chance, or hybrid genres.

Historically, antitraditional currents arise during periods of social upheaval or rapid change and are often linked to broader movements such as modernism, deconstruction, or liberal revolutions. Critics warn that unchecked antitraditionalism can erode shared norms, undermine social cohesion, or yield relativism, while advocates argue that tradition can obscure injustices and restrain progress.

See also: modernism, postmodernism, avant-garde, liberal theology, secularism.