“Renaissance Man” was first recorded in written English in the early 20th century.^[4] It is now used to refer to great thinkers living before, during, or after the Renaissance.

Leonardo da Vinci has often been described as the archetype of the Renaissance man, a man of “unquenchable curiosity” and “feverishly inventive imagination”.^[5]

Many notable polymaths lived during the Renaissance period, a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th through to the 17th century and that began in Italy in the 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 Renaissance ideal.

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.

Who do you call a “Renaissance Man” today?

Rather than simply having broad interests or superficial knowledge in several fields, the “Renaissance Man” possesses a more profound knowledge and a proficiency, or even an expertise, in at least some of those fields.^[6]