
To fulfill the Renaissance idea, one was expected to speak several languages, play several musical instruments, and engage in art, and so on. The ideal of Renaissance humanism was characterized by the acquisition of knowledge in a wide range of subjects. Several polymaths lived during the Renaissance period which began in Italy around 14th century before spreading to the rest of Europe. The term ‘Renaissance man’ was first used in the 20th century but it refers to great thinkers, both past, and present. Examples of a polymath in history include Leon Battista Alberti who was an accomplished architecture, painter, mathematician, and a poet, and Leonardo da Vinci who was renowned in the diverse field of art, science, music, and literature.Ī Renaissance man is a gifted person who seeks to develop his abilities in all the areas of accomplishment including intellectually, artistically, and physically. Polymath is used to describe great thinkers of the Renaissance who excelled in several fields including science and art. It means that the person’s knowledge is not limited to a single subject but draws on complex bodies of knowledge to provide a solution to a problem. Definition Of A PolymathĪ polymath is a person with a wide expertise or broad knowledge spanning over a wide range of different subjects or a person who excels in a wide variety of disciplines or subjects. A person ought to have a firm grip on every aspect of their lives and to solve the life’s mysteries in different disciplines. Sadly, the practice of specializing in a single discipline is slowly eliminating the once-popular aspiration of becoming an all-around person able to strive in more than one discipline.
#Polymath definition professional#
Young people are encouraged to choose specific sports they most excel in rather than engage in all the sports if they have any hope for a professional career. Graduates are encouraged to narrow down to an area of expertise to enable then fit in a specific niche.
#Polymath definition full#
The world in which we live in stresses hyper-specialization as a means of reaching full potential.
