Polymath
A polymath isan individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects and is known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems.1
The term comes from the Greek word "polymathós," which means "one who knows many things."
Being a polymath is characterized by the ability to achieve excellence in several areas of knowledge.
It is often likened to what has come to be called the "Renaissance woman or man," of whom Leonardo Da Vinci is considered the greatest exponent.0
Peter Burke, Professor Emeritus of Cultural History and Fellow of Emmanuel College at Cambridge, discussed the theme of polymathy in some of his works.
He has presented a comprehensive historical overview of the ascension and decline of the polymath as, what he calls, an "intellectual species".[26][27][28]
He observes that in ancient and medieval times, scholars did not have to specialize. However, from the 17th century on, the rapid rise of new knowledge in the Western world—both from the systematic investigation of the natural world and from the flow of information coming from other parts of the world—was making it increasingly difficult for individual scholars to master as many disciplines as before.
Thus, an intellectual retreat of the polymath species occurred: "from knowledge in every [academic] field to knowledge in several fields, and from making original contributions in many fields to a more passive consumption of what has been contributed by others".[29]: 72
Given this change in the intellectual climate, it has since then been more common to find "passive polymaths", who consume knowledge in various domains but make their reputation in one single discipline, than "proper polymaths", who—through a feat of "intellectual heroism"—manage to make serious contributions to several disciplines.
However, Burke warns that in the age of specialization, polymathic people are more necessary than ever, both for synthesis—to paint the big picture—and for analysis. He says: "It takes a polymath to 'mind the gap' and draw attention to the knowledges that may otherwise disappear into the spaces between disciplines, as they are currently defined and organized".[30]: 183
Finally, he suggests that governments and universities should nurture a habitat in which this "endangered species" can survive, offering students and scholars the possibility of interdisciplinary work.