Every Erasmian should read Praise of Folly to learn to empathise with others, says columnist Ronald van Raak, professor of Erasmian values. 'A skill that we see less and less of in public debate, but which belongs to an academic education.'
From now on, you can read the incredibly funny and still relevant Erasmus in just over half an hour - or listen to his work quickly. Sandra Langereis has retold Praise of Folly (1511) and theatre-maker Jorn Heijdenrijk recites this new text - both in Dutch. In Erasmus' Praise of Folly, a reading book and an audiobook, both to be published on 3 November.
I think every Erasmian should read Praise of Folly, but that is easier said than done. This story is interesting, it is easily told and there are some good contemporary translations available - including in English - but it is still a work written more than five centuries ago. That distance in time and culture is not so easily bridged. Several university staff members confided in me that they started this book with enthusiasm and enjoyed reading it, but that it is still heavy reading, partly because Erasmus' language and the time in which he lived are so different from today.
Sandra Langereis turns out to be exactly the person to help us out with this. She previously wrote the biography Erasmus. Dwarsdenker (2021), in which she managed to open up the person and the world of the namesake of our university to a much wider audience. Langereis decided to retell Praise of Folly, in the language of our times. That seems rather bold, to rewrite this classical text, but in the case of Erasmus that boldness is no objection: after all, Erasmus did exactly the same with the authors of classical antiquity known at the time.
This retelling by Sandra Langereis is shorter than most existing versions of Praise of Folly, because she bases herself on the very first version. That is also the most pronounced text, because after its publication a storm of criticism arose and Erasmus felt compelled to clarify or tone down various sensitive passages. Praise of Folly is topical again, now that we are increasingly discussing words that should no longer be used and opinions that are in danger of being cancelled.
In this book, Erasmus gives the floor to Folly 'who tells humanity the uncomfortable truth with a proper jest', argues Sandra Langereis. This speech is also an exercise in thinking: Erasmus teaches his readers to play with words and empathise with other perspectives. By using humour and irony and especially by putting your own views into perspective. Diversity in the Erasmian sense is not claiming your own being right, but learning to empathise with others: like a mirror, in which you also get to know your own prejudices better. A skill that we see less and less in public discourse, but which belongs to an academic education.
The retelling of Praise of Folly by Sandra Langereis is a good introduction to Erasmus. His way of thinking can still help us, in the debate at this university about Erasmian values. I will talk more about how this can be done on Friday 25 November, when I have the honour of delivering my inaugural address. You are cordially invited, in the auditorium of Erasmus University.
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This column originally appeared in Erasmus Magazine.