Erasmus takes the word for 'self-love', philautia, from Plutarch and Horace, both of whom emphasize the blindness it causes. Rabelais, who also entertains by treating trivialities with a strengthening undercurrent of seriousness as his novel proceeds, was to take over the term philautie which, in the Tiers Livre becomes the reason for Panurge's blindness and his inability either to answer his question or to resolve his uncertainties by action.