permanence

Permanence refers to the quality or state of lasting for an extended period of time, enduring under changing conditions, or persisting as an enduring presence. It is often contrasted with impermanence or transience. The sense of permanence can apply to physical objects, materials, ideas, institutions, or records, and its evaluation depends on the timescale and context considered.

In philosophy, permanence has been debated as a problem of change. Early thinkers such as Heraclitus argued that everything is in flux, while Parmenides asserted a fundamental permanence of being. Aristotle offered a nuanced view in which substances endure through time while undergoing change in their accidents; form and matter combine to preserve identity. In modern metaphysics, discussions distinguish between numerical identity (the same thing) and qualitative persistence (the same properties across time).

In psychology, object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when not observed; its development in infancy is a milestone. Perception also exhibits perceptual constancy, a form of cognitive permanence whereby observers recognize stability of objects despite changes in viewpoint, lighting, or distance. The idea of permanence also appears in memory studies and in the way cultures preserve or forget information over generations.

Practically, permanence influences design, law, and culture. Monuments, archives, and digital data strive for durability, while ecological and geological timescales remind that even durable things may eventually decay. Permanence is thus a relative concept, meaningful only within specified temporal or causal contexts. Related topics include impermanence, durability, and stability.