The very phrase “Renaissance Man” dates back, in one way or another, to fifteenth century Italy. In the ensuing centuries, everyone from Leonardo to Jacob Bronowski devoted their energies to wide-ranging pursuits of art, science, and philosophy – a unity of intellect that helped drive human progress. But certain modern trends, including specialization, technological progress and postmodernism have threatened this project. Restoring the unity of the intellect—particularly bridging the gap between the arts and sciences—is essential not just to preserving and improving our own lives, but to expanding the possibilities of human progress for future generations.
