author
Petrus Ramus
1515–1572
A sharp-tongued Renaissance scholar who challenged old classroom traditions, he became one of the most talked-about teachers in sixteenth-century Paris. His ideas on logic, rhetoric, and education traveled widely long after his violent death during the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre.
1 Audiobook
The Way To Geometry
by Petrus Ramus
About the author
Born in Picardy around 1515, Petrus Ramus—also known as Pierre de la Ramée—rose from modest circumstances to become a leading French humanist, logician, and teacher. He studied in Paris and later taught there, building a reputation for attacking the authority of Aristotle and for arguing that learning should be clearer, more practical, and easier to teach.
Ramus became especially known for reshaping the study of logic and rhetoric. He wanted subjects to be organized plainly and methodically, and his teaching helped inspire a broader educational movement often called Ramism. His books were widely read in Europe, especially by students and teachers interested in reforming the curriculum.
Later in life he converted to Protestantism, which made his position increasingly dangerous in France's religious conflicts. He was killed in Paris on August 26, 1572, during the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. Even so, his influence continued for generations through debates about education, argument, and the best way to train the mind.