Desiderius Erasmus, a man of few words, wrote many topics about how the church was run. He felt everyone was acting “godly” and thought he was above people. He criticized not only those in the church, but also many broad generalizations of people, quoting the Bible. Much of Erasmus' disdain for the way things were handled was due to the circumstances in which he grew up. With his “Praise of Madness” Erasmus shows his humanistic view of the world, as well as telling people what they should change to live a better life. life.Erasmus was born in Rotterdam to unmarried parents. His mother was a widow and his father became a priest shortly after his birth. His father was a devotee of Italian humanism, who knew Latin and Greek and supported himself in Rome as a scribe. Erasmus had a brother, Pieter, three years older, and the boys were orphaned by the early death of both parents around 1484. Little else can be said with certainty about his origins. He was then sent, together with his brother, to his guardians, who did not want to have anything to do with them and considering them as a heavy burden sent them to a monastery school near Gouda. This is where he learned his introduction to humanism which he will continue for his later works. After Erasmus spent six years at the monastery, he left it and went to Paris to pursue more studies. He later began a manual to keep track of his thoughts and views, as well as his criticisms. Using his manual's inclusion of a section on "imitation," the standard practice in rhetorical theories, Erasmus would appear to be holding to particular elements of standard rhetorical and educational practices. It moves in a way that is contrary to the way people were starting to move at that time. For Erasmus, a writer shows... middle of paper... a mistake, so they can fix it and help heal the world. His main vision was to experience the world as it was; a live viewing, learn and love if you will. He believed that no one was above another person, i.e. the Pope and/or other important people, and therefore should not act in a condescending manner. The Bible tells all mankind that no one knows God or how to be “divine.” People should follow him and live life the way we are meant to, learning as we go and spreading the gospel, properly, to everyone we can. Works Cited Erasmus, Desiderius and Loon Hendrik Willem Van. Praise of madness. New York: Published for the Classics Club by W.J. Black, 1942. Print.Kreis, Steven. "Desiderius Erasmus, 1466-1536." The Story Guide - Main. May 14, 2004. Web. November 14. 2011. .