"I am as Constant as the North Star": Constancy in People and Nature in the Philosophy of Justus Lipsius and Francis Bacon

Abstract

Between 1580 and 1630, references to the virtue of constancy were widespread. For example, letters were often signed with "your most constant friend", and the concept played a prominent role in many of Shakespeare's plays. But what was meant by 'constancy' during this period, and what important role did the idea play in the flourishing study of the natural world? To find out, this thesis examines the virtue and characteristic of constancy between 1580 and 1630 in Western Europe, specifically in the philosophies of Justus Lipsius and Francis Bacon. It begins by mapping how out this idea of constancy was related to similar yet different other ideas. Then, the thesis first turns to how Justus Lipsius influentially promoted constancy as the most important virtue in his revival of Stoicism. Subsequently, it details how the virtue took on an important role in Francis Bacon's vision of a new way of doing natural philosophy through experimentation. For this purpose, Bacon significantly redefined what constancy entailed. Additionally, the thesis explores how constancy was simultaneously an important concept in Bacon's understanding of nature. It concludes that Bacon saw both constancy in nature and in philosophers as essential for understanding the world. Moreover, the thesis concludes that constancy can and should be seen as an Early Modern predecessor of objectivity.