Michael Polanyi

Michael_Polanyi

Hungarian-British polymath

Michael Polanyi

Birth name	Polányi Mihály
Birth date	1891-03-11
Birth place	Budapest, Austria-Hungary
Died	22 February 1976(1976-02-22) (aged 84)
Place of death	Northampton, England
Known for	Theory of knowledge, Tacit knowledge, Polycentricity
Awards	Royal Society Fellow (1944)

Michael Polanyi (born Polányi Mihály; 11 March 1891 – 22 February 1976) was a Hungarian-British polymath whose work spanned physical chemistry, economics, and philosophy. He is best known for his contributions to the theory of knowledge, particularly the concept of tacit knowledge, and for his critique of central planning in economics.

Early Life and Education

Michael Polanyi was born in Budapest, then part of Austria-Hungary, into a Jewish family. He was the fifth child of Mihály and Cecília Polányi. Polanyi attended the University of Budapest and later the Eötvös Loránd University, where he earned his medical degree in 1913. He subsequently pursued a PhD in physical chemistry.

Career in Physical Chemistry

Polanyi's early career was marked by significant contributions to physical chemistry. He worked on the theory of adsorption and the dynamics of chemical reactions. His research in this field earned him a position at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin, where he worked alongside notable scientists such as Albert Einstein and Fritz Haber.

Transition to Economics and Philosophy

In the 1930s, Polanyi became increasingly interested in economics and social sciences. He moved to the United Kingdom and joined the faculty at the University of Manchester. During this period, he developed a critique of central planning and argued for the importance of polycentricity in economic systems. His work laid the foundation for later developments in the field of complexity economics.

Theory of Knowledge

Polanyi is perhaps best known for his contributions to the theory of knowledge. He introduced the concept of tacit knowledge, which refers to knowledge that is difficult to transfer to another person by means of writing it down or verbalizing it. This idea has had a profound impact on fields ranging from philosophy to management studies.

Personal Life

Polanyi married Magda Elizabeth Polanyi in 1921, and they had two children, George Polanyi and John Polanyi. His son, John Polanyi, went on to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986.

Legacy

Michael Polanyi's interdisciplinary approach and his contributions to multiple fields have left a lasting legacy. His ideas on tacit knowledge continue to influence contemporary thought in various disciplines.

Related Pages

• Tacit knowledge
• Polycentricity
• Central planning
• Complexity economics
• John Polanyi
• University of Manchester
• Physical chemistry