The tone of The Praise of Folly is highly ironic and satirical, making it difficult to discern Erasmus’s own views. Though Folly occasionally presents a well-reasoned argument that seems to reflect the actual beliefs of the author, she is still the goddess of foolishness, a fact which undermines many of her claims and contributes to the highly ironic tone of the essay. In one scene, for example, Folly criticizes philosophers such as Erasmus himself:
After everything else, that famous saying of Plato’s is trotted out: “Happy is the state where philosophers are made kings, or whose kings become philosophers!” No, if you consult the historians, you will find, as plain as day, that nowhere have princes been so baneful to commonwealths as where the rule has devolved upon some philosophaster or bookish fellow [...] For a fact, this whole species of men who give themselves over to the pursuit of wisdom run to unluckiness in most things.
Referencing the Ancient Greek philosopher Plato, who famously argued that the ideal political state would be ruled by an enlightened philosopher-king, Folly sharply repudiates his argument. History, she claims, shows “as plain as day” that rulers bring great suffering and misfortune to their kingdoms when they are influenced by the ideas of “some philosophaster or bookish fellow.” Elsewhere, she expands upon her critique of the philosophers, whom she regards as vain in their attempts to show off how many languages they speak.
Ironically, her critiques apply particularly well to Erasmus himself, who was indeed a philosopher and “bookish fellow.” In fact, he was widely respected across Europe as a preeminent scholar and writer whose ideas were highly influential with both religious and state authorities. This scene, then, exemplifies the highly layered irony of the essay in general.
