The Renaissance man, or polymath, is skilled in multiple fields and has a broad knowledge base. The term derives from the Greek polymathes and was important to thinkers like Plato and Aristotle. Leonardo Da Vinci and Archimedes were examples of Renaissance men. Educated men aspired to become Renaissance men in the Renaissance period, while women were routinely uneducated. The idea of the Renaissance man is still present in traditional college education, where students are required to take liberal arts classes.
A Renaissance man or polymath is a person who is skilled in multiple fields or multiple disciplines and who has a broad knowledge base. The term Renaissance man is based largely on the various artists and scholars of the European Renaissance (starting about AD 1450), who pursued multiple fields of study. Perhaps the quintessential Renaissance man of this period was Leonardo Da Vinci, who was a master of the art, an engineer, an expert in anatomy (for the time), and also pursued many other disciplines with great success and aplomb.
The term polymath precedes Renaissance man and derives from the Greek polymathes. For thinking men like Plato, and then Aristotle, the idea of ”having learned a lot,” the literal translation of the Greek word, was extremely important. Aristotle, in his several writings, strongly argued that people who would choose to study rhetoric should be versed in a variety of fields, as this gave them the opportunity to comment on a variety of situations and develop “clichés”, brief prepared comments that could be used in extemporaneous speech.
Another polymath who followed Aristotle was Archimedes who studied and mastered numerous subjects, from mathematics, physics, philosophy and engineering. Being a polymath was something to aspire to, and occasionally remains so. While we have many people who would be considered geniuses in one specific area, the Renaissance man or polymath displays prowess in numerous areas. A virtuoso violinist like Itzhak Perlman may be considered a genius, but he is not necessarily an all-rounder. Had he also pursued philosophy and engineering, he would have had a better chance of being classified as a Renaissance man.
In the current Renaissance period, educated men aspired to become Renaissance men. They were expected to know several languages, understand philosophy and scientific teachings, appreciate literature and art, and, moreover, be skilled sportsmen. This emphasis was inspired by earlier periods and, for the first time, scholars had access to many of the Greek philosophers and writers whose work had been lost for centuries. Furthermore, becoming a Renaissance man was clearly an extension of the earlier knights and courtiers who had trained during the Middle Ages.
There were few Renaissance women, as women were routinely uneducated. Today, women may prefer the term eclecticism when they are experts in different fields. For men, prejudice may still hold that a man must be both mentally and physically skilled. A person who lacks skills in sports may not be labeled a Renaissance man and may instead be labeled a polymath.
You will still see the idea of the Renaissance man in a traditional college education. All students, in most cases, regardless of major, are required to take liberal arts classes, where they learn about subjects unrelated to their major. This does not mean that most students become polymaths. Generally you have to consider having mastery in several fields to be one. The real math experts, and you’re sure to find some in any college, are often students who major in multiple subjects and major in others. However, this concept of general education expresses ideas dating back to Aristotle, and reinforced in the Renaissance, that large-scale education helps form a more fully developed mind.
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