In Praise of FollyDesiderius ErasmusOmniClassics · Literature
In Praise of Folly
Desiderius ErasmusFolly praises her own benefits and discovers admirers in every apparently respectable corner of society.
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About the book
Speaking on her own behalf, Folly claims responsibility for pleasures and illusions that make human life bearable. Her playful self-praise gradually exposes the vanity of scholars, the ambitions of rulers, the complacency of religious officials, and the flattering stories people tell about themselves. Because the argument belongs to a deliberately unstable speaker, approval and criticism repeatedly exchange places. What counts as wisdom becomes harder to settle as the work moves from social comedy toward religious questions. Erasmus's satire uses classical learning without exempting learned people from its scrutiny. This 1876 English edition includes a life of Erasmus and his letter to Thomas More. The surrounding material frames a work whose wit depends on readers continually testing the speaker's claims against themselves.
- Self-deception
- Learning and vanity
- Wisdom and faith
Why read it
Its shifting voice makes the reader participate in the satire rather than merely recognize other people's foolishness.
English text in the Reeves & Turner edition, 1876