Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, whose full Latin name was Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, was an important Dutch humanist, philosopher and theologian of the Renaissance. Born in 1466, he is known for works that promoted education, critical thinking and reform of the Church. His best-known work is “In Praise of Folly”, a satire criticising social and ecclesiastical conditions. Erasmus played a key role in the development of humanist thought, and his works influenced many contemporaries and subsequent generations of thinkers.
