An Analysis of Gender and Ethnic Prejudices in Erasmus's Adagia and Other Writings

This book explores Erasmus's ethnic and gender prejudices. It does not in any way seek to undermine the esteem in which Erasmus is generally held, as a prince of the humanists; it is rather a consideration of common early modern prejudices. The book’s principal innovation is the use of Erasmus’s commentaries on thousands of Greek and Roman proverbs (his adagia) as a source for examining Erasmus’s worldview. Researchers have often considered the adages as not voicing or reflecting Erasmus’s views, and as such have chosen to ignore them. However, this book shows that Erasmus occasionally expresses his opinions through the adages, giving us an invaluable window into his worldview. An Analysis of Gender and Ethnic Prejudices in Erasmus's Adagia and Other Writings is essential reading for all scholars and researchers of early modern philosophy and intellectual history especially those researching the thought of Erasmus. Nathan Ron is Research Fellow in the School of History at the University of Haifa.