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what is polymathy (polymath) »definition and concept

This word comes from the Greek, specifically from polymatheia, which etymologically means extensive knowledge. In this way, the person with a vast culture on very diverse subjects is a polymath.

Three great polymaths: Leonardo da Vinci, Aristotle and Thomas Jefferson

Polymathy is the domain of different areas of knowledge. A polymath can be a great connoisseur of very varied and unrelated topics. Not surprisingly, very few people have this uniqueness. Among them we could highlight three characters: Leonardo da Vinci, Aristotle and Thomas Jefferson.

Leonardo is a man of the Renaissance and the archetype of a creative genius. His intellectual restlessness drove him towards all kinds of subjects: engineering, drawing, architecture, philosophy or poetry, among many other disciplines.

Aristotle also had great knowledge about all kinds of subjects: logic, poetry, metaphysics, biology, politics, ethics or rhetoric. In all these areas he demonstrated great intellectual rigor.

Thomas Jefferson was President of the United States between 1801 and 1809. Besides being a politician, he is considered a scholar in his day. He was an inventor, founded the University of Virginia, was one of the founding fathers of the United States, and devoted himself to horticulture, archeology, and music. He knew Greek, Latin and French and professionally devoted himself to law.

Polymathy versus specialization

The polymath is someone with infinite curiosity and, therefore, someone exceptional. Today it is difficult to find people like Jefferson, Aristotle or Leonardo. As a general rule, intellectual concern is oriented towards a specific field of knowledge. Thus, compared to the polymathy of other times, we can speak of specialization as a general trend in our days.

Specialization has two distinct faces

It is positive because the individual who knows a specific subject in depth can become a successful professional in their sector.

It is negative because the exclusivity in the knowledge can imply a degree of ignorance on subjects of general culture. As is logical, the ideal would be to have a broad culture on very diverse issues and, at the same time, bet on specialization.

Keys to understanding polymathy

In addition to the immense curiosity for knowledge and a vast culture, polymaths are individuals who know how to think creatively. In this sense, they are able to relate different knowledge or to create new ideas from those already acquired.

Photos: Fotolia - Andrey Kiselev / Matiasdelcarmine

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