Benito Jeronimo Feijoo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benito Jerónimo Feijóo
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Portrait of Feijóo y Montenegro
by Mariano Salvador Maella |
|
| Born | October 8, 1676 |
| Died | September 26, 1764 (aged 89) |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Monk, scholar, essayist |
Benito Jerónimo Feijoo y Montenegro (8 October 1676 - 26 September 1764) was a Galician neoclassical monk and scholar noted for encouraging scientific thought in Galicia and Spain.
He was born in Casdemiro, and joined the Benedictines at the age of 12, and had taken classes in Galicia, León, and Salamanca. He later taught theology and philosophy at the university of Oviedo, and died at Oviedo. Padre Feijoo studied in Salamanca, Spain, at the University of Oviedo, earning a professorship in theology. Feijoo was a prominent essayist for the Spanish, and his critiques, letters, and plays helped change the steadfast beliefs of many during the 18th century.
His two famous multi-volume collection of essays, Teatro critico universal (1726-1739) and Cartas eruditas y curiosas cover a range of subjects, from education, law, and medicine, to superstitions and popular beliefs.
Father Feijoo was a debunker of myths. He had great interest in natural science and many of his essays touch on topics related to this subject and to the many myths about creatures and lands that abounded at that time.
See also
In Spanish: Benito Jerónimo Feijoo para niños
