Is Polymathy Dead?
Ever lost any interest from when you were younger?
Ever wish you could just press reset?
Ever hoped to learn it all?
Some accomplished this inordinate feat: such acclaimed figures as Leonardo Da Vinci, the Victorian John Ruskin, the Franco-German Albert Schweitzer. These polymaths (“many-learned”) multitasked the arts, politics, and natural sciences, due not only to individual genius but to determine curiosity, innovation, and multidisciplinary thinking.
Modern discourse on careers and education is primarily based on the ‘Division of Labor;’ the convention that citizens should specialize and become unique masters in distinct areas of work. This theory does have substantial merit in the incredible depth of knowledge a single person can achieve - producing virtuosos, Nobel laureates, unique experts; specific expertise can be tremendously fulfilling but also isolating. Experience suggests that society benefits more from collaboration between disciplines.
Additionally, many proponents of the ‘Division’ have been driven by a lack of societal organization and short life expectancies (e.g., Plato), or the insular and highly optimized environment of the early assembly line (e.g., Adam Smith, “Father of Capitalism”). Obviously, those were impacted by radically different conditions for social organization from the contemporary ‘Information Age’ and AI revolution, where creative fields should be valued more than ever - so is it time to engender a new era of polymathy? Breadth of knowledge does not necessitate a compromise in depth, and often devoting a vast amount of time at a high level of skill has diminished returns.
For most, it is ludicrous to suggest that within Earth’s twenty-four-hour days, one could pursue so many vocations today, but perhaps as a society we should take from history, the inspiration to broaden our skillsets, dust off hobbies and embrace new forms of self-expression.
Many oversimplify historic polymaths as mere prodigies among their generations, or those wealthy enough to afford multiple academic degrees - truthfully, privilege only facilitated their search for knowledge.
In today’s climate of declining opportunity for a career for life, perhaps a diversification of one’s experiences and interests could provide unexpected opportunities, or even a “reverence for life,” in moving beyond one’s comfort zone. People contribute to society not just in jargon-jammed papers, or stuffy debates, but primarily and most powerfully in an individual's personality and perspective in the world, which deserves an equivalent breadth of professional and recreational skills.
So – do you have what it takes to be the next great thinker?
Will you engage the quieter side of your brain by having a crack at a sudoku, or by taking up drawing again?
Despite the threats of AI, invidious geniuses, and the fear that you will never be as good as someone else, it is never too late to pick up something new, at eighteen or eighty: humanity’s strength is its adaptability and lifelong neural plasticity.
Simon Cockling
I used:
A picture I took of John Ruskin’s historic house, Brantwood, now a museum dedicated to him.
Common epithets
General discourse on skills, AI, careers
