Book · 1870 · Folly
... In Praise of Folly
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How did More influence In Praise of Folly, Erasmus’s greatest work? Erasmus dedicates Praise of Folly to More, as you say. He may have written some of it, parts of it, while staying at Thomas More’s home.
Tyler Cowen · Conversations with Tyler · Jun 2026 The best things said about it
It was called the civilitate morum purilium which means civility of childish manners yeah it was written by Erasmus the famous Dutch philosopher back in 1530 and he took some time out from translating the New Testament to write down manners...
And yeah it talks about I think was it Erasmus or so yeah who says that we have to embrace our folly and our ridiculousness and realize the appraiser folly is the UH in praise of folly.
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Why people recommend it
... In Praise of Folly is a satirical essay by Desiderius Erasmus that uses humor and irony to critique societal norms, intellectual pretension, and corruption within religious institutions. On Conversations with Tyler, Tyler Cowen and Joanne Paul discussed the historical relationship between Erasmus and Thomas More, noting that Erasmus dedicated the work to More and likely composed parts of it while staying at More's home. On Stuff You Should Know, the host referenced Erasmus's broader historical impact, noting his contributions to European humanism and education alongside his biblical translations. Additionally, a guest on Modern Wisdom referenced an Alain de Botton video discussing the book's core message about embracing human folly, imperfection, and ridiculousness. Across these discussions, the text remains a vital touchstone for understanding Renaissance humanism, satire, and the philosophical interrogation of human behavior.
Every mention
Tyler Cowen How did More influence In Praise of Folly, Erasmus’s greatest work? Erasmus dedicates Praise of Folly to Mo… 2
“Now, as you know, Erasmus wrote quite a bit about Thomas More, including a dedicatory letter in In Praise of Folly. If More was so dogmatic, what about him did Erasmus admire so much?”
“How did More influence In Praise of Folly, Erasmus’s greatest work? Erasmus dedicates Praise of Folly to More, as you say. He may have written some of it, parts of it, while staying at Thomas More’s home.”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker2
“It was called the civilitate morum purilium which means civility of childish manners yeah it was written by Erasmus the famous Dutch philosopher back in 1530 and he took some time out from translating the New Testament to write down manners...”
“and yeah it talks about I think was it Erasmus or so yeah who says that we have to embrace our folly and our ridiculousness and realize the appraiser folly is the UH in praise of folly”
