A philosopher himself, Erasmus disapproved of any organized school of philosophy. His contempt for the scholastic philosophers of the Middle Ages and Renaissance put him at odds with the institution of philosophy, in that era. Born in 1468, Erasmus was a translator, commentator, satirist, editor, and provocateur of Renaissance culture.
Born an orphan, he soon decided to be a monk and entered the Augustinian monastery at Steyn in 1486. He left to study theology at the University of Paris in 1495, where he found a lifelong love for Christianity and in particular the teachings of Jesus Christ. An acquaintance with Thomas More, today a catholic saint, then an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher and John Colet, a Renaissance humanist, English scholar and theologian influenced Earsmus into a scholarly and literary arena of life. In 1500, he published his collection of proverbs, the Adagiorum Collectanea, whose poetic letter addressed to Mountjoy, is a source of inspiration for study
Further friendships and collaboration with famous scholars resulted in publication of many books of adages like the Adagiorum Chiliades in 1508..
Erasmus is most famous for the satire Praise of Folly (1511) and his Latin translation of the New Testament of the Bible.
Originally written in Latin, the Praise of Folly is presented as a long speech.
Erasmus uses the character of Folly as a narrator to rebuke and to poke fun at the traits and habits of humans. He also addresses institutions and leaders of his day, both within and outside the church. During his theology days at college, he had gone from being a curious student who was eager to learn about the many books of the Bible to being disillusioned to the mode of teaching as well as possible uninspired teaching methods.
The book concludes with portraying devotion of Christian belief as a way ahead that has the potential to give humankind a sense of spiritual ecstasy while elevating humans above the material cares of the world.
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