To know nothing is the happiest life.
-Erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus
1468-1536
About
Desiderius Erasmus was an activist and humanist born in 1468. He was from Rotterdam, Netherlands. He was also known as Erasmus of Rotterdam, and died in 1536.
Manual of a Christian Knight
Manual of a Christian Knight was a letter to one of his friends in court, who asked for a guide to life. It was written in 1503, and is about how to get in a state of mind worthy of Christ. It was well known for its ideas that true faithfulness comes from inward conversion, and what you do yourself, not outward ceremonies.
Philosophy
Erasmus believed that philosophy is a spiritual state, not a professional identity. He believed that to be a philosopher one must prefer truth to illusion, and it is not about being skilled at speaking or physics. He wrote about this in another of his writings, Education of a Christian Prince. He believed that no country or republic would be great or fulfilled until their leaders embraced philosophy, or rather his idea of it.
Renaissance and Reformation 