Who was Benito Jerónimo Feijoo y Montenegro?
Q: Who was Benito Jerónimo Feijoo y Montenegro?
A: Benito Jerónimo Feijoo y Montenegro was a Galician neoclassical monk and scholar noted for encouraging scientific thought in Galicia and Spain.
Q: Where did he study?
A: He studied in Galicia, León, and Salamanca, and later taught theology and philosophy at the University of Oviedo.
Q: What are some of his works?
A: 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, medicine to superstitions and popular beliefs.
Q: What type of topics did Father Feijoo write about?
A: Father Feijoo wrote about natural science as well as debunking myths. He also had great interest in natural science and many of his essays touch on topics related to this subject.
Q: How did Father Feijoo demonstrate that demonic possession was a psychological phenomenon?
A: To demonstrate that demonic possession was more due to suggestibility than anything else, Father Feijoo performed a spurious exorcism on the "possessed" subject by reading from Bocaccio's Decameron. Upon hearing the Latin lines, the "possessed" individual settled down and declared himself to be free of demonic influence.
Q: When was Father Feijoo born?
A: Father Feijoo was born on 8 October 1676 in Casdemiro.
