Verdadeiro Método de Estudar, a manifesto first published anonymously in 1746, challenged the Jesuit monopoly on Portuguese education and provided the conceptual framework for later reforms. As a primary figure of the Portuguese Enlightenment, the author of this controversial text navigated the shifting intellectual currents of the eighteenth century, operating both within the Kingdom of Portugal and from his later base in Rome.
Early Education and Career
Born in Lisbon in 1713 to Denys Verney and Maria da Conceição Arnaut, Luís António Verney grew up in a household of wealthy merchants. His early formal schooling began under the tutelage of Fr. Manuel de Aguiar Paixão. He attended the Jesuit College of Saint Antony the Abbot and later the Convent of the Holy Spirit of the Quarry. Although he briefly enlisted for a military expedition to India in 1729, he shifted his focus back to academics, enrolling at the University of Évora and earning a degree in Philosophy and Theology by 1736. He eventually earned a doctorate in Theology and Law from the Sapienza University of Rome.
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Verney's critique of the educational status quo centered on the pedagogical methods of the Jesuits. In his 1746 publication, he advocated for teaching grammar in Portuguese rather than Latin and argued for the use of experimental methods over traditional arguments based solely on authority. The work triggered significant backlash, resulting in over forty responses by 1757. His ideas gained political relevance under the Marquis of Pombal, who implemented several of Verney's proposals following the suppression of the Society of Jesus in 1759.
Political Life in Rome
In 1741, Verney was appointed Archdeacon of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Évora. His international standing grew through memberships in the Academy of the Arcadians and correspondence with figures like Ludovico Antonio Muratori. In 1768, he became secretary of the Portuguese Legation in Rome. His political involvement led to his dismissal in 1771 and a period of exile in San Miniato. Following the death of King Joseph I and the accession of Queen Maria I in 1777, he was rehabilitated, later becoming a correspondent for the Lisbon Academy of Sciences.
Fast facts
- Born: 1713, Lisbon
- Died: 1792, Rome
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Portugal
- Major work: Verdadeiro Método de Estudar (1746)
- Occupations: Philosopher, theologian, pedagogue
- University degree: Artium Magister, 1736
- Archdeaconry: Metropolitan Archdiocese of Évora, 1741
Questions readers ask
What was Verney's primary criticism of the Portuguese education system?
He criticized the Jesuit monopoly on teaching and the reliance on traditional methods based on authority, advocating instead for the use of Portuguese in grammar studies and the adoption of experimental methods.
How did the Marquis of Pombal relate to Verney's ideas?
Pombal, a chief minister and fellow estrangeirado, implemented several of Verney's educational reforms after the national suppression of the Jesuit order in 1759.
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