Final answer:
The correct answer to the given question is 'Tradition.' A tradition is a practice or belief that has been accepted for a long time, often without critique. In the context of science, a theory is an established framework for understanding phenomena, not just an unverified idea or guess.
Step-by-step explanation:
Something that has been accepted or respected for a long time and that people are afraid or unwilling to criticize or question is b) Tradition. While 'paradigm' may suggest a comprehensive framework of understanding within a given field, and 'theory' and 'hypothesis' are terms usually associated with scientific concepts, tradition is the term that best fits the context of the question as it pertains to beliefs or practices that have stood the test of time and are followed by a group or society.
In scientific terms, a theory is a well-substantiated explanation of aspects of the natural world that has been repeatedly tested and supported by evidence and experimentation. It's not simply an idea or guess but rather an established framework for understanding certain phenomena. As such, when a hypothesis is tested and consistently supported throughout numerous experiments, it can evolve into a theory. However, it is incorrect to assume that when a theory has been known for a long time, it becomes a law; this statement is False. Scientific laws describe relationships under certain conditions in nature, but they don't explain why those relationships exist.