A polymath (Greek: πολυμαθής, polymathēs, "having learned
much," Latin: homo universalis, "universal man")
is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different
subject areas—such a person is known to draw on complex bodies of
knowledge to solve specific problems.
In Western Europe, the first work to use polymathy in its title (De
Polymathia tractatio: integri operis de studiis veterum) was published
in 1603 by Johann von Wower, a Hamburg philosopher. Wower
defined polymathy as "knowledge of various matters, drawn from all
kinds of studies [...] ranging freely through all the fields of the
disciplines, as far as the human mind, with unwearied industry, is
able to pursue them". Wower lists erudition, literature, philology,
philomathy and polyhistory as synonyms. The related term, polyhistor,
is an ancient term with similar meaning.
Polymaths include the great thinkers of the
Renaissance and the
Enlightenment who excelled at several fields in science, technology,
engineering, mathematics, and the arts. In the Italian Renaissance,
the idea of the polymath was expressed by Leon Battista Alberti
(1404–1472) in the statement that "a man can do all things if he
will". Embodying a basic tenet of
Renaissance humanism that humans
are limitless in their capacity for development, the concept led to
the notion that people should embrace all knowledge and develop their
capacities as fully as possible. This is expressed in the term
Renaissance man"—often applied to the gifted people of that age who
sought to develop their abilities in all areas of accomplishment:
intellectual, artistic, social and physical. The term entered the
lexicon in the twentieth century and has now been applied to great
thinkers living before and after the Renaissance.
Renaissance ideal: the
2 Related terms
3 In sports
4 In medicine
5 See also
6 References and notes
7 Further reading
Renaissance ideal: the
Abū Rayḥān al-Bīrūnī was a Persian polymath
Galileo was one of the most influential polymaths
Renaissance man" was first recorded in written English in the early
20th century. It is now used to refer to great thinkers living
before, during, or after the Renaissance.
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci has often
been described as the archetype of the
Renaissance man, a man of
"unquenchable curiosity" and "feverishly inventive imagination".
Many notable polymaths lived during the
Renaissance period, a cultural
movement that spanned roughly the 14th through to the 17th century
that began in Italy in the
Late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages and later spread to the
rest of Europe. These polymaths had a rounded approach to education
that reflected the ideals of the humanists of the time. A gentleman or
courtier of that era was expected to speak several languages, play a
musical instrument, write poetry and so on, thus fulfilling the
The idea of a universal education was essential to achieving polymath
ability, hence the word university was used to describe a seat of
learning. At this time, universities did not specialize in specific
areas, but rather trained students in a broad array of science,
philosophy and theology. This universal education gave them a
grounding from which they could continue into apprenticeship toward
becoming a master of a specific field.
When someone is called a "
Renaissance man" today, it is meant that
rather than simply having broad interests or superficial knowledge in
several fields, the individual possesses a more profound knowledge and
a proficiency, or even an expertise, in at least some of those
fields. Some dictionaries use the term "
Renaissance man" to
describe someone with many interests or talents, while others give
a meaning restricted to the
Renaissance and more closely related to
Medieval German polymath Hildegard of Bingen, shown dictating to her
scribe in an illumination from Liber Scivias
Mikhail Lomonosov, a Russian scientist and polymath
Aside from "
Renaissance man" as mentioned above, similar terms in use
are homo universalis (Latin) and uomo universale (Italian), which
translate to "universal man". The related term
"generalist"—contrasted with a "specialist"—is used to describe a
person with a general approach to knowledge.
The term "universal genius" or "versatile genius" is also used, with
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci as the prime example again. The term is used
especially for people who made lasting contributions in at least one
of the fields in which they were actively involved and when they took
a universality of approach.
When a person is described as having encyclopedic knowledge, they
exhibit a vast scope of knowledge. However, this designation may be
anachronistic in the case of persons such as
reputation for having encyclopedic knowledge predates the existence of
any encyclopedic object.
Main article: List of multi-sport athletes
In Britain, people occasionally use phrases such as "polymath
sportsman", "sporting polymath", or simply "polymath" in a restricted
sense to refer to athletes who have performed at a high level in
several very different sports, rather than to those gifted in many
fields of study. One whose accomplishments are limited to athletics
would not be considered a polymath in the usual sense of the word. An
example is Howard Baker, who was called a sporting polymath by the
Encyclopedia of British Football for winning high jump titles and
playing cricket, football and water polo.
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci was known for his immense interest in human
Look up polymath in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Jack of all trades, master of none
Polymatheia – a muse of knowledge in Greek mythology
References and notes
^ The term was first recorded in written English in the early
seventeenth century Harper, Daniel (2001). "Online Etymology
Dictionary". Retrieved 5 December 2006.
^ Araki, Michael (2015). Polymathic Leadership: Theoretical Foundation
and Construct Development (PDF). Maxell.
^ a b Murphy, Kathryn (2014). "Robert Burton and the problems of
Renaissance Studies. 28 (2): 279.
^ Burke, Peter (2011). "O polímata: a história cultural e social de
um tipo intellectual". Leitura: Teoria & Prática.
^ Wower, Johann (1665). De Polymathia tractatio: integri operis de
^ Far from suggesting or implying a distinction—such as, a
distinction between math and history—the terms "polymath" and
"polyhistor" are [very nearly] synonyms (as indicated by the
similarities in their
Wiktionary entries, polymath and polyhistor).
Renaissance man - Definition, Characteristics, &
^ Harper, Daniel (2001). "Online Etymology Dictionary". Retrieved
December 5, 2006.
^ Gardner, Helen (1970). Art through the Ages.
Renaissance man — Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online
Dictionary". M-w.com. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
^ "Oxford concise dictionary". Askoxford.com. Retrieved 6 April
^ Cox, Richard (2002).
Encyclopedia of British Football. Routledge.
ISBN. p. 15.
^ Clayton, Martin. "Leonardo Da Vinci: Anatomist". Royal Collection
Trust. The Royal Collection. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
Araki, M. E. (2015). Polymathic Leadership: Theoretical Foundation and
Construct Development (Master's thesis). Retrieved 29 January 2018.
Burns, Peter, "What makes a
Carr, Edward (1 October 2009). "Last Days of the Polymath".
Intelligent Life. The Economist Group. Retrieved 12 January
Edmonds, David (August 2017). Does the world need polymaths?, BBC.
Frost, Martin, "Polymath: A
Grafton, A, "The World of the Polyhistors:
Encyclopedism", Central European History, 18: 31–47. (1985).
Jaumann, Herbert, "Was ist ein Polyhistor? Gehversuche auf einem
verlassenen Terrain", Studia Leibnitiana, 22: 76–89. (1990) .
Mirchandani, Vinnie, "The New Polymath: Profiles in
Compound-Technology Innovations", John Wiley & Sons. (2010).
Sher, Barbara (2007). Refuse to Choose!: A Revolutionary Program for
Doing Everything that You Love. [Emmaus, Pa.]: Rodale.
Twigger, Robert, "Anyone can be a Polymath" .
Waquet, F, (ed.) "Mapping the World of Learning: The 'Polyhistor' of
Daniel Georg Morhof" (2000).
Wiens, Kyle, "In defense of polymaths".
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