77ERASMUS, DESIDERIUSGod? In epistemology one also studies
theories of evidence, justification, and
warrant. What are the possible modes or
ways of knowing the world, ourselves,
morality and the divine? Questions that
bear specifically on the justification of
religious beliefs are addressed in religious
epistemology.
Some philosophers identify epistemo-
logy as the distinguishing mark of mod-
ern philosophy, beginning with Descartes.
It is very difficult to do epistemology,
however, without also doing metaphysics
(which concerns theories and accounts
of what exists). A question such as
“Can we trust our sensory experience?”
presupposes that there are such things
as sensory experience, trust, and (most
obviously) ourselves. Modern philosophy
may rightly be seen as privileging episte-
mology, but not in such a way that com-
pletely overshadows metaphysics.
EQUIPROBABILISM. The thesis that if
a precept (a prohibition of some liberty)
is equally probable as the probability that
liberty is permissible, an agent may act in
liberty. Imagine there is some reason for
an agent on moral or religious grounds to
be celibate as part of his vocation, but he
also has some reason to pursue a licit sex-
ual relationship. Equiprobabilism would
allow liberty in this case. It is grounded
on the assumption that “possession is the
better claim” (melior est conditio possiden-
tis). Given that persons possess liberty,
there is a presumption that exercising
liberty is permissible unless overridden
by good reasons.EQUIVOCAL. Terms are used equivo-
cally when they are used in different
senses, but this is not made clear contex-
tually, often resulting in false conclusions.
Example: A ham is an amateur radio
operator. People eat ham. Conclusion:
People eat ham radio operators. In phi-
losophy of religion, some have thought
that good is used equivocally in these
two statements: “God is good” and “Some
human beings are good.” See also ANAL-
OGY and RELIGIOUS LANGUAGE.ERASMUS, DESIDERIUS (c. 1467–1536).
Christian humanist, outstanding scholar,
and Augustinian monk. A contemporary
of Martin Luther, he chose not to join the
Reformers despite his sympathy with
them in regards to protesting ecclesiasti-
cal abuses. Erasmus’ translation of the
New Testament provoked serious debate
over the extent to which one can find a
doctrine of the trinity in scripture.
Erasmus was a close friend of Thomas
More. Arguably, Erasmus and More can
be seen as paradigmatic Renaissance
philosophers in Northern Europe. They
both (like the Florentine Platonists)
welcomed the Christian engagement with
non-Christian classics. Erasmus’ works
include The Contempt of the World (1490),
Chiliades Adagidrum (1507), In Praise of
Folly (1509), a Greek text of the New