Occasional Paper #23:OP:1

by Fred Dallmayr

Drawing parallels between the sixteenth century and the present, Dallmayr explores the views of the great humanist Erasmus (1469-1536), particularly focusing on his critique of common attitudes toward warfare. He examines Erasmus’ views on the brewing conflict between Europe and the Ottoman Empire (or between Western Christianity and the Muslim world). He then expands the scope of discussion by reviewing Erasmus's more general thoughts on war and peace, using as chief reference point his famous adage "War is sweet to the inexperienced." Dallmayr then concludes by turning to Erasmus’s perhaps most famous and most eloquent anti-war tract: Querela pacis or Complaint of Peace.


Fred Dallmayr is Packey J. Dee Professor of Political Science and a Fellow of the Kroc Institute, University of Notre Dame.

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