Moriæ Encomium

About this book

"First published in Paris in 1511, The Praise of Folly enjoyed enormous and highly controversial success from the author's lifetime down to our own day. The Praise of Folly has no rival, except perhaps Thomas More's Utopia, as the most intense and lively presentation of the literary, social, and theological aims and methods of Northern Humanism. Clarence H. Miller's highly praised translation of The Praise of Folly, based on the definitive Latin text, echoes Erasmus' own lively style while retaining the nuances of the original text. In his Introduction, Miller places the work in the context of Erasmus as humanist and theologian. In a new Afterword, William H. Gass playfully considers the meaning, or meanings, of folly and offers fresh insights into one of the great books of Western literature."--BOOK JACKET.

Themes & subjects

About the author

Desiderius Erasmus

28 October 1466 – 12 July 1536

Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and theologian, educationalist, satirist, and philosopher. Through his works, he is considered one of the most influential thinkers of the Northern Renaissance and one of the major figures of Dutch and Western culture.