Chronological snobbery
Also called: Appeal to the present
Dismissing an idea because it is old, or assuming that newer ideas must be better.
How to spot it
Is the date of an idea doing the work of an argument against it?
Example
“That was written two thousand years ago, so it can't apply today.”
How to answer it
Ask whether the reasoning holds up. Old ideas are sometimes right and new ones sometimes wrong.
Related
- Appeal to novelty: Claiming something is better because it is new.
- Appeal to tradition: Claiming something is right because it has long been done.