5 h 1 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the fool in the pulpit sees more clearly than the scholars, priests and kings she mocks?
In Desiderius Erasmus’s short satire In Praise of Folly, a goddess steps before a crowd to celebrate herself. Folly is boastful, funny and sharp. People may curse her, she says, but their faces brighten when she appears. Her claim is bold: without her, human life would hardly be worth living.
Her speech moves from the foolishness of childhood to the self-love and flattery that hold society together. Then her gaze sharpens. Scholars quarrel over tiny points of Latin. Monks prize rules and robes while forgetting charity. Through Folly’s praise of herself, Erasmus invites you to question what passes for wisdom.
What you’ll discover
- A speaker without shame Meet a goddess who praises herself because she trusts nobody else to do it properly.
- The uses of self-love Follow Folly’s argument that liking ourselves helps us please others and act well.
- Learning under a sharp gaze Watch proud grammarians turn small disputes over Latin into reasons to feel like kings.
- Pride beneath the robes Encounter a pointed critique of religious rules and ritual that leave charity behind.
- Laughter with a serious edge Look beneath the jokes to explore human vanity and the uneasy boundary between wisdom and foolishness.
Who will love it
For readers who enjoy wit, satire and the history of ideas, and for anyone curious about the Renaissance and the road to the Reformation.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Folly praises herself and her parentage
- Life runs on folly from cradle to grave
- Self-love and flattery hold society together
- Learned people are among the greatest fools
- Monks, priests and princes fall under her gaze
- The wise fool and the lasting reach of the book
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 5 h 1 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 8 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear In Praise of Folly in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
In Praise of Folly
by Desiderius Erasmus · 1511
The goddess Folly climbs into a pulpit and mocks scholars, priests and kings who think they are wise.
Challenging5–10 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then USD 0.14 a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
In short
In Praise of Folly is a short satire by Desiderius Erasmus, the Dutch scholar and priest. He wrote it in 1509 in England, at the house of his friend Thomas More, while he was on his way back from Italy.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Folly praises herself and her parentage
Folly opens by saying that nobody else will praise her properly, so she will do it herself. She notes that people curse her in private, yet the moment she appears, every face brightens. Her speech, she says, is not carefully prepared like a lecturer's. It pours out as it comes, and that is exactly how a fool should speak.
She then gives her family tree. Her father is Plutus, the god of wealth, who rules over gods and men. Her mother is Youth, a nymph. Folly was born on the Islands of the Blest, and she was nursed by Drunkenness and Ignorance, two nymphs who shaped her character.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about In Praise of Folly
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is In Praise of Folly about?
It is a satire in which the goddess Folly gives a speech praising herself. She argues that human happiness depends on foolishness, then mocks scholars, priests, monks and rulers, and finally describes a Christian folly that the world does not understand.
Why is it called Moriae Encomium?
That is the Latin title. Moria is the Greek word for folly, and encomium means a formal praise. It also puns on the name of Erasmus's friend Thomas More, to whom the book is dedicated.
When was In Praise of Folly written and published?
Erasmus wrote it in 1509, during a stay in England at the home of Thomas More, and it was first printed in Paris in 1511. It then went through many editions across Europe.
The author
Desiderius Erasmus
1466–1536 · Dutch Renaissance humanist and theologian
Desiderius Erasmus was a Dutch humanist, Catholic priest, and theologian from Rotterdam. He lived in several European countries, including England and Switzerland. He wrote In Praise of Folly in 1509 and published a Greek edition of the New Testament in 1516. He died in Basel in 1536.
More like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
