This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through one of these links we may get a small commission from the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you in advance for your support.
Polymath Meaning and Associated Terms
In the winter of 1502-1503, the erudite companion of Cesare Borgia created what would become one of the most useful and influential innovations of modern warfare. The ambitious Borgia, a conqueror of the Italian region of Romagna, had moved his army to the town of Imola, which he planned to make his seat of power. In order to ensure the impregnability of the town, Borgia enlisted the services of one Leonardo Da Vinci, who created a detailed map of the area.
Da Vinci created no ordinary map, but one rendered with all the necessary and accurate measurements, color coded with important features, and of supreme usefulness to military planners. Additionally, the map was cleverly drawn using a top down aerial view, unusual for the time. By using his well-developed skill as an artist, Da Vinci brilliantly saw how to apply his techniques in order to develop this tool that would become essential to military campaigns the world over. As it was not Da Vinci’s only foray into military strategy, it also illustrates a persona that Da Vinci’s name is synonymous with- The Renaissance Man.
Today, we refer to this kind of person as a Polymath.
What is a Polymath
Polymath- A person of great and varied learning
– Vocabulary.com
The above definition of the word polymath, is just one of many explanations. Polymath is derived from the Greek polymathes, meaning “having learned much”. It typically refers to a person who has knowledge in several different subject areas. Wikitionary defines polymath as “a person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge”.
There are many terms for polymath, some of which you might be familiar with. They all mean essentially the same thing and are often used interchangeably. Below are some of these terms-
- Renaissance Man
- Multipotentialite
- Jack-of-all-Trades
- Homo Universalis (from Latin, the Universal Man)
- Polyhistor
- Generalist
- T-Shaped person (broad at the top, with deep knowledge in one area)
Examples of Polymaths
While Leonardo Da Vinci is probably the most famous polymath in history, there are some other well-known historical figures that fit this description as well. Each one of these individuals made contributions to various fields in their lifetime. Some notable examples of polymaths are-
- Aristotle (philosopher, physicist, biologist)
- Benjamin Franklin (writer, scientist, inventor, diplomat)
- Thomas Jefferson (lawyer, architect, diplomat)
- Hildegard of Bingen (Benedictine nun, composer, philosopher)
- Isaac Newton (mathematician, physicist, inventor)
Common Characteristics of Polymaths
Okay, so a polymath has knowledge in a number of different areas. But what about a polymath allows them to achieve this? Well for one, a polymath typically has deep knowledge in at least one area. As for Da Vinci, his base of knowledge was his art. For Benjamin Franklin, his writing was the start of his polymath journey. Both men continued to return to their relative bases of knowledge, and for each that base continued to inform whatever their current pursuit was.
Sometimes an individual will pursue interests concurrently and end up holding skill and expertise in several areas at once. Other times they will achieve a level of expertise in one area and then leave that area to pursue knowledge in another subject. No two polymathic individuals are the same and they all take different paths to arrive at their relative assortments of knowledge.
They are Interested in the World
Polymaths pursue their interests which are often many and varied. Modern day technologist Elon Musk began computer programming as a child, was an avid reader of fantasy and science fiction, then double majored in physics and economics before entering the world of business. Sometimes polymaths’ interests are related, such as when an actor becomes a director, and other times their interests are disparate, such as when a rock musician becomes an airline pilot.
They Can Focus Intensely
Despite being curious about many things, many polymaths have an innate ability to focus intensely for long periods of time. The aforementioned Elon Musk used to spend entire days reading in his youth. Isaac Newton in particular was known to spend months in isolation working on experiments to solve problems and formulate new ideas.
They're Often Autodidacts
An autodidact is one who is self-taught or engages in self-learning. Although it is common for many polymaths to earn advanced degrees, it is also common that many relish learning on their own. In fact, when faced with a lack of resources or formal methods of learning, many simply circumvent these challenges or formulate their own curricula.
Again, Newton, who lived during the black plague, is known to have read books in Latin in order to gain the information he required. Da Vinci lacked any formal education in science and instead learned as much as he could from reading and making detailed observations which he noted in his journals.
My Preferred Definition of the Polymath
Although it’s easy to look up a definition of the word polymath, there still exists some debate as to who does and does not qualify as one. For the most part, I don’t think it’s so critical to come up with a list of criteria that a person MUST meet in order to be described as a polymath. History is filled with brilliant people and I’m more inclined to give someone the benefit of the doubt when evaluating their polymathic status.
However, it is somewhat helpful to have a reference point as many people have multiple interests. If everyone’s a polymath, no one’s a polymath. I’m also going to try and stick with the following criteria when referencing polymaths in future articles.
- They have knowledge in disparate areas. When looking at career paths in various disciplines, some are more common than others. An instrumentalist who becomes a composer. A comedian who becomes an actor. I won’t go so far as to say that these individuals don’t count as polymaths, but I do think that the more disparate their disciplines are, the more credibility they have as a polymath.
- They must have expertise. Simply partaking in an interest doesn’t make one a polymath. If you happen to dabble in something on the weekends, but only have a rudimentary knowledge of your chosen subject that doesn’t really qualify. A true polymath will have expertise in a given subject. What constitutes expertise is up for debate I suppose, but some things that would qualify would be earning a degree or substantial certification in a subject. Competing in an area and/or winning awards. Simply demonstrating a degree of competency in a skill might qualify. Also, teaching a subject/skill might qualify, all the more if it’s in an appointed position.
- Again, up for debate is how many areas are required in order to qualify as a polymath, but my own opinion is that a polymath must have expertise in at least 3 disparate skills/subjects with each being weighty enough to stand on its own. By weighty I mean that the skill/subject takes a substantial amount of time, study, and/or practice to become accomplished at. There is math involved in physics but I probably wouldn’t give someone credit for being a mathematician in addition to being a physicist, unless they had made significant enough contributions to the field of mathematics that they would stand on their own. Inversely, subjects such as “science” or “music” are much too broad by themselves. Someone who explored various subsets of these fields might warrant consideration as a polymath, but these individuals would need to be evaluated on a case by case basis.
- Last one here, but one thing you might notice when looking at well-known polymaths is that very few manage to achieve notoriety for academic achievements and physical/athletic achievements both. Why that is might be enough to address in a future article, but suffice to say that I would give bonus points to one who achieves excellence in both. They would have additional credibility as a polymath.
Final Thoughts on Polymaths
Do you agree with my assessment of what constitutes a polymath? If not, then why? At the end of the day, I believe anyone striving to be better is worthy of respect. I’m by no means the gatekeeper to the title of Polymath, but it does serve as an interesting question to ponder. There are many forms of intelligence and the amount of knowledge that has been discovered and written about since the Renaissance has exploded into such epic proportions that there are many avenues for each of us to explore, should we choose to do so.
Who are some of your favorite polymaths? For a look at some of today’s most famous Modern Day Polymaths, check out the next article here!
