Teodoro de Almeida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Reverend Teodoro de Almeida Cong. Orat. FRS
Born	(1722-01-07)7 January 1722 Lisbon, Portugal
Died	18 April 1804(1804-04-18) (aged 82) Lisbon, Portugal
Notable work	O Feliz Independente do Mundo e da Fortuna (1779)

Teodoro de Almeida (born January 7, 1722 – died April 18, 1804) was a Portuguese Catholic priest. He was also a talented writer and thinker. Teodoro de Almeida was a very important person during the Age of Enlightenment in Portugal. This was a time when new ideas about reason and science became popular.

Almeida was known for making science easy to understand for everyone. He wrote a ten-book series called Philosophical Recreation. These books were for people who didn't have much education. He wanted to share knowledge with those who didn't have many books in their own language.

Ideas on Science and Nature

Teodoro de Almeida believed in using reason and the scientific method to understand the world. He thought that science and religious beliefs could work together. He didn't like it when people just accepted old ideas without testing them. He was chosen as a member of the Royal Society of London in 1758. This was a big honor for a scientist.

Writing and Happiness

As a writer, Almeida was part of a group called Arcádia Lusitana. This group believed that writing should be realistic and useful. He wanted to help people find happiness. His book, The Happy Man, Independent of World and Fortune, tried to show how to be happy. He used clear, logical ways, like in geometry, to explain his ideas.

Challenges and Return

Almeida faced some difficulties because of his ideas. He disagreed with the powerful Marquis of Pombal. The Marquis was a leader who wanted to control everything. Because of this, Almeida was sent away from Lisbon in 1760. He lived in different places, including Spain and France.

While in France, he lived in Bayonne. He found a spiritual guide there who taught him about trusting in God. When a new queen, Queen Maria I, came to power, Almeida was able to return to Lisbon.

Founding the Lisbon Academy

Back in Lisbon, Teodoro de Almeida continued his work. He was one of the people who helped start the Lisbon Academy of Sciences in 1779. This Academy was a place for scientists and thinkers to share knowledge. In 1780, he gave a speech at the Academy. He said that Portugal needed to catch up in science.

Later Life and Beliefs

Later in his life, Almeida was worried about the French Revolution. He didn't like the extreme changes happening in France. He spent his last years defending Portugal's Christian traditions. He believed in the importance of faith and opposed ideas that went against it.