Etymology

ship of fools

Today it means: A country or organization that is poorly run by leaders who lack the expertise to cope with the problems that arise and equally inexpert subjects or members who attempt to influence those leaders. Full definition →

German Narrenschiff
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The story

  1. German · calque ofNarrenschiff
  2. English todayship of fools

From ship + of + fools, a calque of German Narrenschiff. From a German poem named "Narrenschiff", published in 1494 by Sebastian Brant, about a ship carrying 112 passengers, each of whom represents a specific human foible, which sails into oblivion. The poem was translated into English in 1509 by Alexander Barclay. Brant may have been inspired by an allegory that first appeared in Book VI of Plato's Republic, about a ship with a dysfunctional crew.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.