13 Most Intelligent People In The History Of The World
Alex Hillsberg
We know these people are exceptionally intelligent and talented. But just
how intelligent are they compared to each other? Here are 13 of the most
intelligent geniuses in the world, or at least as far as two Western scientific
studies had afforded us.
How we get the IQ
Estimating the IQ levels of people who had died centuries before a refined
scientific intelligence benchmarking had been developed is tricky; but here
we have two of the most often quoted studies: the 1926 Early Mental Traits
of 300 Geniuses by American psychologist Catherine Cox, who computed
the IQs of geniuses from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century; and the
1994 Book of Genius by English learning expert, Tony Buzan, who ranked a
more encompassing 100 greatest geniuses of our world.
The disparity in their lists is evident. Buzan had Da Vinci at the top with an
IQ of 220, while Cox gave the artist-inventor only 180 points. Still, it’s fun
averaging the two lists to see who among these geniuses trump their fellow
brainiacs in sheer IQ performance. Those who didn’t appear in the top
twenty of both lists are automatically out of the game, but it’s not to say
they are any less than intelligent than the people in this list (we can never
tell).
Moreover, the list didn’t include twentieth-century geniuses such as Albert
Einstein, Enrico Fermi and Stephen Hawking. Likewise, you’ll note that these
are European geniuses; hence, mind masters from Asia did not appear, too.
Those things aside and without further ado, here they are: the most genius
of geniuses and their mind-boggling IQ levels and achievements.
13. Charles Dickens – IQ level: 165
The English writer, poet, social critic. He is known for his literary
masterpieces including Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol
and David Copperfield. He is also regarded as the greatest novelist of the
Victorian period, the time when England reigned supreme in the literary,
science, trade and military world.
12. Raphael – IQ level: 170
Yet another Renaissance artist made it to our list, the Italian contemporary
of Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Raphael was a painter and architect, the third
member of the trio great masters of the High Renaissance. His most famous
works include the Mond Crucifixion, the Deposition of Christ, and the
Transfiguration.
11. Michael Faraday – IQ level:175
The English scientist who received little formal education. His works
advanced the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry, the
precursor of the high technologies that we enjoy today. Testament to his
genius, numerous scientific principles are named after him: Faraday’s law of
induction; Faraday effect: Faraday cage; Faraday paradox; Faraday wheel;
and Faraday wave among others. His research would make it possible for
later inventions in electricity and current.
10. Baruch Spinoza – IQ level: 175
A Dutch philosopher. He was among the first to lay down the foundation of
the age of Enlightenment that saw science challenged the status quo of the
Church. The age led to great leaps in the fields of science, politics, and
economics, spearheaded by among others, Spinoza’s magnum opus, the
Ethics, which challenges the authenticity of the Hebrew bible.
9. Michelangelo – IQ level: 177
Tied with the French philosopher is another Italian Renaissance man, the
sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer, Michelangelo. Famed for
his masterpieces, namely David, Pieta, Sistine Chapel, The Last Judgment,
and The Creation of Adam. Many experts even argued he is the greatest
artist of all time, a subjective account yet not without substance considering
his contributions to the High Renaissance art.
8. Desiderius Erasmus – IQ level: 177
Dutch humanist, theologian, social critic. He was a strong advocate of
religious tolerance during the Reformation age, when Catholics and
Protestants were at each other’s throat. Using humanist techniques, he
prepared a new batch of Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament,
which would become influential materials during this tumultuous time.
Although critical of the Church, Erasmus maintained his Catholic faith,
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believing the Catholic hierarchy could be reformed internally without the
need to create an offshoot faith.
7. Rene Descartes – IQ level: 177
The French philosopher, mathematician, and writer. He is called the Father
of Modern Philosophy because of his writings. Notably, the Meditations on
First Philosophy is still a standard reference in universities around the world.
He is also renowned for his mathematical contributions, specifically the
Cartesian coordinate system and for bridging algebra and geometry that
made the development of calculus possible.
6. Galileo Galilei – IQ level: 182
The Italian physicist, astronomer, mathematician, philosopher. He is best
known for giving us the telescope. But that’s just a mere speck in his widereaching scientific achievements, namely the discovery of planetary objects
such as Callisto, Galilean moons, Europa, Ganymede, and Io. He was also
responsible for confirming through actual observation the heliocentrism
nature of the solar system—the sun is at the center and the planets revolve
around it—putting him at the crosshair of the Inquisition during his time.
5. John Stuart Mill – IQ level: 182.5
An English philosopher and political economist. He is best known for his
influential contributions to liberalism, the idea of individual freedom in
contrast to unfettered state control in handling the economy. The Mill’s
method is also widely used today to arrive at a conclusion via induction, a
tool that lawyers and scientists have used in advancing their arguments.
4. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz – IQ level: 191
The German philosopher and mathematician. He is regarded to have
contributed to the development of calculus independent from Newton,
notably his works, Law of Continuity and Transcendental Law of
Homogeneity. He was also a prolific inventor in the field of mechanical
calculators, making it possible for non-genius like us to calculate complex
mathematical problems with the aid of this device.
3. Isaac Newton – IQ level: 192
The English physicist and mathematician. He is regarded to have developed
much of calculus, the building blocks of today’s engineering feats. His
Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy is one of the most influential
scientific works, heralding the age of enlightenment when Europe burst into
an era of advancements that gave birth to modern technologies.
2. Leonardo Da Vinci – IQ level: 200
The Italian Renaissance man. His genius spanned across science and art.
Best known for his Mona Lisa, Da Vinci was actually more than an
exceptionally talented painter. He was a mathematician, engineer, inventor,
sculptor, architect, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. He was the
epitome of the Renaissance man, bringing to the world his wealth of
knowledge to advance mankind’s fate.
1. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – IQ level: 220
The German poet, novelist, playwright, politician, and diplomat. He’s best
known for his literary works, such as, The Sorrows of Young Werther, Sturm
und Drang, and Faust. Although he’s best regarded as a literary genius,
Goethe was also involved in scientific studies, particularly in the field of
natural science. He had a wide collection of minerals as part of his extensive
studies in geology.
These people might appear remarkable and rare, but genius is more
prevalent than we imagine it to be. “Everybody is a genius,” so said Einstein,
“but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life
believing it is stupid.”
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