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A 3 page research paper that explores the contributions to Western education made by Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1469-1536). Erasmus was one of the greatest philosophers, theologians and educators of the Renaissance. As Erasmus confronted the "waning of Medieval scholasticism," he developed an educational philosophy that would have an powerful influence over the course of Western education for centuries to come (Gutek 94). A brief survey of Erasmus's life, writing and perspective reveals the scope and influence of his ideas. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
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File: D0_kheras.rtf
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philosophy that would have an powerful influence over the course of Western education for centuries to come (Gutek 94). A brief survey of Erasmuss life, writing and perspective reveals the
scope and influence of his ideas. One of Erasmuss most caustic works is Praise of Folly (1511), a satire in which Erasmuss chief targets were certain prelates and principles
of the Catholic Church (Kessler 207). The Churchs theoretical foundation in the early sixteenth century was late medieval scholasticism, which was an "intellectual movement that used Aristotles mode of
reasoning or dialectics" in order to resolve "contradictions and ambiguities in Christian theology" (Kessler 207). This philosophy presented Christian believers with a number of logical propositions that addressed a host
of abstract and complex theological problems as a requirement of salvation (Kessler 207). Erasmuss Folly attacked those sectarians and prelates who argued that the need for complete orthodoxy justified the
use of force against the Churchs enemies (Erasmus). Additionally, in Folly, Erasmus attacks scholasticism for its assumption that it can attain surety (Kessler 207). Erasmus writes that the "obscurity and
variety of human affairs" is so great that of them "nothing can be clearly known" (Erasmus). Erasmus believed that the Churchs educational endeavors were "bogged down in the scholastics
preoccupation with metaphysical and theological subtleties rather than with biblically based ethics" (Gutek 101). Rather than get wrapped up in philosophical pondering, such as the medieval problem of how many
angels could danger on the head of a pin, Erasmus urged a return to simplicity and encouraged a Renaissance humanistic perspective on the processes of education. His greatest work in
regards to political philosophy and education was his text The Education of the Christian Prince (1516)(Gutek 101). Just as Machiavelli, Erasmuss contemporary wrote a book on the education of an
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