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Unlike the French études des mentalités, our study of the acquired “second natures” and institutionalized habits proves to be of great importance for any historic periodization, while the virtues/vices systems enable to comprehend both realms divided – precisely – by modernity itself, e.g. the inner space of human intentions, and the outer space of social practices and political executions. The Protestant ethics, as Max Weber famously noticed, changed considerably during the early modern times in preference of frugality, parsimony, industriousness to the ‘outlived’ medieval virtues of humility, chastity and obedience, whether lived through religious vows, or in some ordinary form. Moreover, the sense of the organic connection of virtues (connexio virtutis) in the unity of human life evanished and the modern world not evil, but far too good, full of wild and wasted virtues…isolated from each other” and therefore damaging by ‘wandering alone’ – has begun. (Chesterton) The latest efforts in history made by Eamon Duffy reveals a scope of medieval/ early modern transformations, intersections and colliding forms of life, real as well as imaginary, concerning landscape, town, family, state, religion and literature. Inevitably, after Duffy’s reconsideration of the “bare ruined choirs”, Shakespeare’s presentation of the old virtues, namely that of chastity, meekness in faith and charity in good deeds, , urges us to determine the precise beginning of the early modern to the time when the ‘still’ of the traditional mind processed towards the recognition of ‘never’ in the aftermath of James I. coronation. Suppression of Aristotle´s Ethics and Metaphysics at English universities followed.
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