Love's Labour's Lost

“Small have continual plodders ever won,

Save base authority from others’ books.”

Berowne argues against the King’s oath by discussing the limited knowledge imbued by books alone. His comments reference medieval scholasticism, which had been the foundation of European intellectual pursuit for several centuries. It placed Aristotelianism and other classical writers into a Christian context, and as such revolved around the close study of existing texts. Berowne verbalizes the arguments against this approach that were developing throughout the 16th century: That this can only produce small steps in human understanding, as it leans on pre-existing knowledge rather than seeking out new knowledge, and that it places too much trust in the authority of prior intellectual figures, accepting their conclusions without criticism. Such arguments were summarized in Francis Bacon’s epistemological tract Novum Organum, published about 20 years later, embedding a broad shift in scientific approach.

“These earthly godfathers of heaven’s lights,

That give a name to every fixèd star,

Have no more profit of their shining nights

Than those that walk and wot not what they are.”

Berowne discusses another contemporary academic development: The growing field of astronomy. He notes the practice of astronomers discovering new stars or planets, and giving them names, but questions what practical value this has, pointing out that it does not change their lived experience of the night sky. He suggests it only really serves to bring them fame, rather than producing worthy knowledge.