A man of the Renaissance, or "polymath" (universal man) is a comprehensively developed person who has many knowledge and is an expert in several scientific disciplines.
The definition came to a large extent thanks to prominent artists, great thinkers and scholars of the European Renaissance (starting around 1450). Michelangelo Buonarroti, Galileo Galilei, Nikolai Copernicus, Miguel Servet, Leon Battista Alberti, Isaac Newton - these are the most important names of people who were researchers in several areas of science and art. But perhaps the most striking representative, a true man of the Renaissance is Leonardo da Vinci. He was an artist, engineer, anatomist, was interested in many other disciplines and achieved great success in his research.
The term “polymate” precedes the Renaissance, it comes from the Greek word “polymathes”, which can be translated as “own many knowledge” - an idea that was extremely important for Plato and Aristotle, the great thinkers of the Ancient World.
Leon Battista Alberti said this: "People can do anything if they want." This idea embodied the basic principles of the humanism of the Renaissance, which determined that the individual is unlimited in his capabilities and development. Of course, the concept of “a man of the Renaissance” should be attributed only to gifted individuals who tried to develop their skills in all areas of knowledge, in the arts, in physical development, in contrast to other people who lived in that era, who mostly represented a poorly educated society.
Many educated people aspired to the position of a “universal person”.
They constantly engaged in self-improvement, the development of their opportunities, the study of foreign languages, conducted scientific research, could understand and explain philosophical problems, appreciated art, engaged in sports (improved their body). At an early stage, when the concept was generally determined, educated people had access to many knowledge - the works of Greek thinkers and philosophers (many works were lost in subsequent centuries). In addition, a man of the Renaissance was the continuation of chivalric traditions. Knights of the early Middle Ages, as you know, were literate people, versed in poetry and art, had good manners, had personal independence (excluding duties to the feudal ruler). And the human right to freedom is the main theme of the true humanism of the Renaissance.
To a certain extent, humanism was not a philosophy, but a method of research. Humanists believed that a person in the Renaissance should come to the end of his life with a beautiful mind and a magnificent body. All of this could be achieved by constantly learning and improving. The main goal of humanism was to create a universal person who combines intellectual and physical superiority.
The rediscovery of ancient texts and the invention of typography democratized learning and allowed ideas to spread more quickly. During the early Renaissance, the humanities received particular development. At the same time, the works of Nicholas of Cusa (1450), preceding the heliocentric worldview of Copernicus, laid the foundation for the natural sciences to a certain extent. But still, the science of the Renaissance and art (as disciplines) were very mixed at the beginning of the era. A striking example of this is the great genius Leonardo da Vinci, who is an outstanding painter, who is also called the father of modern science.
