The German polymath

22/03/2025 7 min
The German polymath

Listen "The German polymath"

Episode Synopsis

Cape Town South Africa The term ‘polymath’ dates back to at least 1603, when it was first used in the title of a published work, by the German Johann van Wowern. He defined polymathy as "knowledge of various matters, drawn from all kinds of studies ... ranging freely through all the fields of the disciplines, as far as the human mind, with unwearied industry, is able to pursue them".