Pierre Bayle (1647–1706)

Pierre Bayle (1647-1706), French philosophe and reviewer. After moving to Rotterdam, he devoted himself to writing this biographical and historical "dictionary", a seminal work appearing in parts in Europe. Bayle fought for religious tolerance in the face of persecution. He also showed, repeatedly, that atheist objections to theological claims could not be answered.

His discussion of Spinoza was controversial, and as translated here, does not appear to do much. But in its day, it inspired incendiary reaction by both Protestant and Catholic factions. He discusses the injustice of classes, the hypocrisy of the pious, the physical annihilation of the Manicheans without disposing of their arguments, and the fact that those who can successfully oppose the arguments of the Manicheans find themselves to be Unitarians.(!) [418-19]

Includes the biography of "Ariosta", the concubine whose faithfulness and political skills so nicely coupled with great beauty. Bayle notes that from her eleven children comes a titled House of Este, which still exists in the branch of Modena and of Rhegio. That Ariosta gave more honor to her family than she took from it. [21] He discusses the "singular efficacy" of marriage, which changes the nature of three kinds of time:

"The past is no less free from its influences than is the present or the future." He acknowledges the force, the irresistable authority, of custom.

Bayle keenly scrutinizes how women are treated, exposing its badly baud. [22, 23]

With detailed Index.… (more)

John Kilcullen, Introduction to the 2005 edition:
The popular mind often associates scepticism with irreligion, and critical distance with unbelief. In this view, reason and faith, or scientific method and religious dogma, are not only different but indeed antagonistic means of viewing the world, understanding human existence, and conducting one's life. Pierre Bayle's scepticism was of a singularly distinct sort. He argued not that religion is untrue, but that the discourses proper to theology and the discourses proper to philosophy are incapable of any meaningful exchange. Bayle sought to advance a secular morality that would be independent of both speculative theism and religious revelation. Bayle blazed a philosophical path that Denis Diderot, David Hume, and other Enlightenment thinkers would follow. The continuing significance of this work is its vigorous defence of complete religious toleration. It is in itself a primary historical source of our modern tradition of religious tolerance.… (more)