Erasmus of Rotterdam: his important WORKS

In this lesson from a TEACHER we will talk about Erasmus philosophy from Rotterdam, as well as their more important works. His real name was Desiderius Erasmus van Rotterdam and he was a humanist philosopher and one of the greatest figures of the Renaissance.

The Dutchman wrote a new version of the Old Testament, the Novum Instrumentum or Novum Instrumentum omne, the first published in the Greek language, although it was not the first, is to be written. The Complutensian Polyglot Bible it was written before Novum, but was published later. Erasmus' work lays the foundation for later translations, from the 16th to the 19th century.

Erasmus It's one of the humanistic philosophers more important. He left an extensive work that includes essays and treatises of different themes, although his best-known book is, without a doubt, Theandlogio to madness published in the year 1511.

The In Praise of Insanity is an essay based on By triumpho stultitiae by the Italian Faustino Perisauli. It is also often translated as the Praise of Foolishness (

memory) which gives rise to a double interpretation regarding the title that can also be understood as the "Praise of Moro”(Thomas)", close friend of Erasmus. In fact, much of this work was written in the home of the author of Utopia.

Main ideas of In Praise of Insanity

• At the beginning of the book we find a satirical snippet, in which the influence of Samosata. This gives way to other more serious speeches, in which the stupidity, praises the blindness and the madness of the Catholic Church and of the members of him. The criticism is also directed against Erasmus himself. Finally, madness speaks in the mouth of the author.
• Erasmus of Rotterdam says in his masterpiece that being stupid or crazy, it only brings advantages. Happiness is the daughter of ignorance, that's why foolish people are happier. He puts as examples both the intellectuals of the moment, as well as Bishops and Governors.
• The ignorance introduces herself as the daughter of love Pluto (god of the underworld, Hades) and Of her Hebe (youth, Hera), and was born in The Fortunate Islands. In his attempt to make the human being happy, he is accompanied by flattery, self-love, dementia, laziness, stupidity, forgetfulness and voluptuousness. There are many, says Erasmus, who without recognizing it live in the craziness, as the scholars, and especially the doctors and legislators, whom he describes as louts. Merchants, says the author, steal with total impunity, because the law allows it. Furthermore, he accuses all the clergy, including the Pope, of having the vice of vanity.
• Madness presents itself as a goddess, daughter of Pluto, the god of agriculture (related to Hades) and of Of her Hebe, the goddess of youth and made of Zeus and Hera. Drunkenness and ignorance, they raised her, and her unconditional friends are: Philautia (narcissism), Kolakia (flattery), Lethe (forgetfulness), Misoponia (laziness), Hedone (the pleasure), Anoia (madness), Tryphé (thoughtlessness), Komos (intemperance) and Eegretos Hypnos (sleep deep).

Erasmus he left an extensive work that includes essays and treatises de different topics, although his best-known book is, without a doubt, Theandlogio of madness. Here we leave you a review of the most important works of Erasmus of Rotterdam:

• Adagios (published in 1500)
• Enchiridion militiis christiani o Manual of the Christian gentleman, published in the year 1503
• By ratione studii o On the method of study, a publication of the year 1511
• Enchomion moriae seu laus stultitiae or The Praise of Folly, 1511
• Institutio principis christiani o Education of the Christian prince, which comes to light in 1516
• Novum Instrumentum or New Testament in Greek, also from 1516
• Colloquia, which was published without authorization in the year 1517
• Spongia adversus aspergines Hutteni, Posted in 1523
• De libero arbitrio diatribe or the Discussion about free will, from the year 1524.
• Hyperaspistes or Supershield I, from the year 1526, and in response to Luther's De servo arbitrio
• Hyperaspistes, published in 1527
• De pueris statim ac liberaliter instituendis o On the firm but kind teaching of children, from the year 1528)
• Ciceronianus, sive de optimo dicendi genere o The Ciceronian, a publication of the year 1528
• Utilissima consultatio de bello turcis inferendo o Very useful query on whether to wage war on the Turks, from 1530)
• Ecclesiastes, from the year 1534
• Preparatio ad mortem or Preparation for death, published in 1534.

In addition, he wrote countless cards more than 500 people, the majority politicians and philosophers, from whom he often asked for advice. But undoubtedly the most interesting correspondence is the one he exchanged with Luther, father of Protestant Reformation.