Editing Amateur (section)

== History ==
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Historically, the amateur was considered to be the ideal balance between pure intent, open mind, and the interest or passion for a subject. That ideology spanned many different fields of interest. It may have its roots in the [[ancient Greek philosophy]] of [[Amateur sports|amateur athletes]] competing in the [[Olympic Games|Olympics]]. The ancient Greek citizens spent most of their time in other pursuits, but competed according to their natural talents and abilities.

The "gentleman amateur" was a phenomenon among the [[gentry]] of [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]] from the 17th century until the 20th century.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Stone|first1=Duncan|title=Deconstructing the Gentleman Amateur (article version)|url=https://www.academia.edu/34556804|journal=Cultural and Social History|access-date=May 16, 2018|language=en|archive-date=March 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331093905/https://www.academia.edu/34556804|url-status=live}}</ref> With the start of the [[Age of Enlightenment|Age of Reason]], with people thinking more about how the world works around them, (see [[science in the Age of Enlightenment]]), things like the [[Cabinet of Curiosities|cabinets of curiosities]], and the writing of the book ''[[The Christian Virtuoso]]'', started to shape the idea of the gentleman amateur. He was vastly interested in a particular topic, and studied, observed, and collected things and information on his topic of choice. The [[Royal Society]] in Great Britain was generally composed of these "gentleman amateurs", and is one of the reasons science today exists the way it does. A few examples of these gentleman amateurs are [[Francis Bacon]], [[Isaac Newton]], and [[Sir Robert Cotton, 1st Baronet, of Connington]].

Amateurism can be seen in both a negative and positive light. Since amateurs often lack formal training and are self-taught, some amateur work may be considered sub-par. For example, amateur athletes in sports such as [[basketball]], [[baseball]], or [[Football games|football]] are regarded as possessing a lower level of ability than professional athletes. On the other hand, an amateur may be in a position to approach a subject with an open mind (as a result of the lack of formal training) and in a financially disinterested manner.  An amateur who dabbles in a field out of interest rather than as a profession, or possesses a general but superficial interest in any art or a branch of knowledge, is often referred to as a [[wiktionary:dilettante|dilettante]].