Benito Jerónimo Feijóo y Montenegro
Spanish monk and scholar
Friar Benito Jerónimo Feijóo y Montenegro (Spanish pronunciation: [beˈnito xeˈɾonimo fejˈxo(o) j monteˈneɣɾo]; 8 October 1676 – 26 September 1764) was a Spanish monk and scholar who led the Spanish Enlightenment. He was an energetic popularizer noted for encouraging scientific and empirical thought in an effort to debunk myths and superstitions.
Biography
He joined the Benedictine order at the age of 12, and had taken classes in Galicia, León, and Salamanca. He later taught theology and philosophy at the University, where he earned a professorship in theology.
He was appalled by the superstition and ignorance of his time, and his works aimed at combating the situation. His fame spread quickly throughout Europe. His revelations excited considerable opposition in certain quarters in Spain, for example from Salvador José Mañer and others; but the opposition was futile, and Feijóo's services to the cause of education and knowledge were universally recognized long before his death in Oviedo.
A century later Alberto Lista said that a monument should be erected to Feijóo, at the foot of which all his works should be burned. He was not a great genius, nor a writer of transcendent merit; his name is connected with no important discovery, but his literary style is clear and not without distinction. He tried to uproot many popular errors, awakened an interest in scientific methods, and is justly regarded as the initiator of educational reform in Spain.
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