Erasmus, Dutch philosopher: “Foxes have many tricks. Hedgehogs have only one. But it’s the best of them all”
Known as the “Prince of the Humanists”, the influential philosopher Erasmus of Rotterdam is behind a number of memorable quotes.
Many names manage to transcend their own time, remaining alive in memory for centuries. That’s certainly the case with Erasmus of Rotterdam, born in the Dutch city on October 28, 1466, and who died in Basel on July 12, 1536. A humanist, philosopher, philologist, and theologian, he authored major works in Latin and came to be known by many as the “Prince of the Humanists.”
“The best of them all”
Erasmus left countless works and memorable lines to history, and one of the most cited reads as follows: “Foxes have many tricks. Hedgehogs have only one. But it’s the best of them all.” A striking phrase that pushes us to reflect: Mastering one craft can matter more than knowing a little about many, without truly excelling at any.
Erasmus was ordained a Catholic priest in 1492 within the Augustinian order, and afterward he studied at the University of Paris, a place where the Renaissance revival of Greek and Roman culture was in full bloom. It was there that the early foundations of Erasmus’s humanist thought took shape, turning him into a free thinker and a master of independent ideas well ahead of his time.
Other major Erasmus quotes
One of the key figures in Dutch and Western culture, he remains widely known thanks to works such as The Praise of Folly and Adagia. His life continues to influence modern society, reflected in incisive lines like: “The height of folly is to learn what must later be unlearned,” in reference to a kind of education that, in many cases, is still repeated centuries later. Erasmus also wrote memorably about human relationships, noting: “True friendship begins when two people can enjoy silence together.”
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