Desiderius Erasmus was considered a Northern Humanist during the Renaissance era. The term Renaissance is a translation from the Italian word “Rinascita”, meaning “rebirth”. It was considered the rebirth of Old Roman and Greek civilization. Thought to have ended in 1527 with the sack of Rome by Charles V, HRE (Holy Roman Emperor). (http://ap_history_online.tripod.com/apeh2.htm)

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<span style="text-decoration: underline">The Praise of Folly</span> was written by Desiderius Erasmus in summer of 1509.

Desiderius took a two month long journey from Italy to England arriving to the Old Barge in Bucklersbury, London. This was the home of Sir Thomas More, a close friend of Erasmus. According to Clarence Miller (translator and commentator for Praise of Folly into English), Erasmus was confined in Bucklersbury to recover from a kidney ailment, and this is where the great work was born.

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The term “folly” was used as a synonym for “human nature”.  The Praise of Folly was a satire written as harmless enjoyment about things that were wrong and needed to be changed.

“At first the book makes kindly and approving fun of the ways of action and

weakness of mankind. It is not moderant, only amused. But gradually from

fools innocent and natural and undebased, it passes to those whose illusions

are vicious in setting and results.” (Taylor, 175)

In Folly young women are perceived as  young and vivacious. They are described  described as being nursed by drunkeness and ignorance. Young women represent freedom, youth, care, happiness, and vitality. She is positively influenced with self-love, flattery, and pleasure.  With such qualities they are able to influence their men. The Men are fierce leaders and are perceived as carefree and frivolous. Erasmus also makes reference to light and beautiful equating to young and dark and ugly to old.

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Erasmus’ work was controversial in its time, since in this satire he also addresses monks and priests as being no better than any other man. He goes on t o describe monks and theologians religious views serve as a way to divide rather than unite Christians. He even describes Jesus as being a divine fool for sacrificing himself for humanity.

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The Renaissance period also produced other great works like  Sir Thomas More’s Utopia. More was considered an English Humanist.  In More’s Utopia, he describes an ideal state through a sailor who is the  fictitious main character. More based the sailor’s age on his own and compares his ideal of what life is like in a Utopia to his reality of life in England, which was described as harsh. In Utopia, life is easy. The economy is well thought out and utilized. Property is held in common, making Utopia a commonwealth.

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I feel that The Praise of Folly should be preserved because it entertains. It also shows that old and young were perceived the same way as they are today. Young equals useful and full of life, and old is useless and lifeless.

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<h1>Works Cited</h1>
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Taylor, H.O. <span style="text-decoration: underline">Thought and Expression in the Sixteenth Century</span>. New York: McMillan, 1920, Vol.1

Erasmus, Desiderius. Translated and an Introduction and Commentary by Miller, Clarence H. <span style="text-decoration: underline">The Praise of Folly.</span> New Haven: Yale University Press, 1979.

<a href="http://ap_history_online.tripod.com/apeh2.htm">http://ap_history_online.tripod.com/apeh2.htm</a>

<a href="http://teaattrianon.blogspot.com/2010/11/in-praise-of-folly.html">http://teaattrianon.blogspot.com/2010/11/in-praise-of-folly.html</a>

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