Editing G. K. Chesterton (section)

===Chesterton's fence===
"Chesterton's fence" is the principle that reforms should not be made until the reasoning behind the existing state of affairs is understood. The quotation is from Chesterton's 1929 book, ''The Thing: Why I Am a Catholic'', in the chapter, "The Drift from Domesticity":

{{blockquote|In the matter of reforming things, as distinct from deforming them, there is one plain and simple principle; a principle which will probably be called a paradox. There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, "I don't see the use of this; let us clear it away." To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: "If you don't see the use of it, I certainly won't let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chesterton |first=G. K. |date=1946 |orig-year=1929 |chapter=The Drift from Domesticity |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.475818/page/n35/mode/2up |title=The Thing<!-- The subtitle is omitted in this edition. --> |url=https://archive.org/details/thingwhyiamcatho0000gkch/page/n7/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106171443/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000041581954;view=1up;seq=39 |archive-date=6 November 2018 |edition=Reprint |location=London |publisher=Sheed & Ward |page=29 |oclc=977629776 |access-date=29 May 2024}}</ref>}}