| In Praise of Folly | |
| Author: | Desiderius Erasmus |
| Title Orig: | Moriae encomium |
| Orig Lang Code: | la |
| Publisher: | Gilles de Gourmont |
| Country: | France |
| Language: | Latin |
| Genre: | essay, theology |
| Translator: | Thomas Chaloner White Kennett James Copner John Wilson Harry Carter Betty Radice |
| Pub Date: | 1511, revised many times up to 1532 |
| English Pub Date: | 1549 |
| Media Type: | Print: hardback |
| Dewey: | 873.04 |
| Congress: | PA8514 .E5 |
| Preceded By: | Handbook of a Christian Knight |
| Native Wikisource: | Moriae encomium |
| Wikisource: | The Praise of Folly/The Praise of Folly |
In Praise of Folly, also translated as The Praise of Folly (Latin: Stultitiae Laus or Latin: Moriae Encomium), is an essay written in Latin in 1509 by Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam and first printed in June 1511. Inspired by previous works of the Italian humanist De Triumpho Stultitiae, it is a spiralling satirical attack on all aspects of human life, not ignoring superstitions and religious corruption, but with a pivot into an orthodox religious purpose.[1]
Erasmus revised and extended his work, which was originally written in the space of a week while sojourning with Sir Thomas More at More's house in Bucklersbury in the City of London.[2] The title Moriae Encomium had a punning second meaning as In Praise of More (in Greek moría translates into "folly").[3] In Praise of Folly is considered one of the most notable works of the Renaissance and played an important role in the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation.[4]
The Praise of Folly begins with a satirical learned encomium, in which Folly praises herself, in the manner of the Greek satirist Lucian (2nd century AD), whose work Erasmus and Sir Thomas More had recently translated into Latin; Folly swipes at every part of society, from lovers to princes to inventors to writers to dice-players to professional liars to hermits.
It then takes a darker tone in a series of orations, as Folly praises self-deception and madness and moves to a satirical examination of supposedly pious but superstitious abuses of Catholic doctrine and corrupt practices by the people and priests of the contemporary church—to which Erasmus was ever faithful—and the folly of pedants. Folly increasingly takes on Erasmus' own chastising voice. According to some source, the essay ends with a straightforward statement of Christian ideal: "No Man is wise at all Times, or is without his blind Side."
Erasmus was a good friend of More, with whom he shared a taste for dry humor and other intellectual pursuits. The title Moriae Encomium could also be read as meaning "In praise of More". The double or triple meanings go on throughout the text.
The piece is filled with classical allusions delivered in a style typical of the learned humanists of the Renaissance. Folly parades as a goddess, offspring of Plutus, the god of wealth and a nymph, Youth. She was nursed by two other nymphs, Inebriation and Ignorance. Her faithful companions include Philautia (self-love), Kolakia (flattery), Lethe (forgetfulness), Misoponia (laziness), Hedone (pleasure), Anoia (dementia), Tryphe (wantonness), and two gods, Komos (intemperance) and Nigretos Hypnos (heavy sleep). Folly praises herself endlessly, arguing that life would be dull and distasteful without her. Of earthly existence, Folly pompously states, "you'll find nothing frolic or fortunate that it owes not to me."
In one of the notable pivots in the Praise of Folly, the book turns out to be almost an elaborate sermon on 1 Corinthians 1:21-23, the folly on the cross.
Many subsequent commentators characterize the book only as a satire against the Roman Catholic church itself, or its doctrines, rather than about the moral decisions of humans regardless of lifestyle or state: the contrast between human wisdom which is actually folly and the divine folly which is wisdom.
From 1541, Latin editions frequently included Commentary of Girardus Listrius Listrius was helped by Erasmus to complete the commentary for Froben in 1515, and may have been a pseudonym for Erasmus.[5] Erasmus made may small changes to Folly between editions.
As with several of Erasmus' works, translations often had interpolations and choices of a sectarian nature that did not reflect the original. It may be from these that the summary of the book as an "attack on the Western church"[6] comes.
The Latin has "Moriae" (Folly) which is a pun and allusion to "Mariae", that Mary Magdalene had the best part (Mark 10:42). Most English translations go directly to Mary here.
Moriae Encomium was hugely popular, to Erasmus' astonishment and sometimes his dismay. Pope Leo X and Cardinal Cisneros are said to have found it amusing. Erasmus' close friends had been initially skeptical and warned him of possible dangers to himself of being seen as attacking the establishment.[12]
Before Erasmus' death it had already passed into numerous editions and had been translated into Czech, French, and German. An English edition soon followed. It influenced the teaching of rhetoric during the later sixteenth century, and the art of adoxography or praise of worthless subjects became a popular exercise in Elizabethan grammar schools.[13] A copy of the Basel edition of 1515/16 was illustrated with pen and ink drawings by Hans Holbein the Younger.[14] These are the most famous illustrations of In Praise of Folly.
Its role in the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation[4] stems from its supposed criticism of the practices of the Church and its political allies.[15]
Erasmus subsequently wrote that he almost regretted writing it, such had been the trouble it had caused him. But this trouble did not come from the satirized princes, popes, bishops, abbots, cardinals, famous scholars, courtiers, magistrates or wives, but from certain theologians.[16]
It has been called "a notoriously difficult text" to analyse.[17]