Bayle: Political WritingsPierre Bayle was one of the most important sceptical thinkers of the seventeenth century. His work was a major influence on the development of the ideas of Voltaire (who acclaimed it for its candour on such subjects as atheism, obscenity and sexual conduct), Hume, Montesquieu and Rousseau. Banned in France on first publication in 1697, Bayle's Dictionnaire Historique et Critique became a bestseller and ran into several editions and translations. Sally L. Jenkinson's masterly edition presents the reader with a coherent path through Bayle's monumental work (which ran to seven million words). This is volume selects political writings from Bayle's work and presents its author as a specifically political thinker. Sally L. Jenkinson's authoritative translation, careful selection of texts, and lucid introduction will be welcomed by scholars and students of the history of ideas, political theory, cultural history and French studies. |
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Page xix
... humanity's achievements , but it is noteworthy that , on the eve of the Enlightenment , Bayle warned persistently of reason's limitations . For though humanity has the capacity to make improvements , it has equally the capacity to abuse ...
... humanity's achievements , but it is noteworthy that , on the eve of the Enlightenment , Bayle warned persistently of reason's limitations . For though humanity has the capacity to make improvements , it has equally the capacity to abuse ...
Page xx
... human conduct relies on a method of factual refutation . His critique of intolerance , these pieces show , was based not only upon ' sceptical ' objections to dogmatic teaching , but also upon a public rhetoric in which empirical ...
... human conduct relies on a method of factual refutation . His critique of intolerance , these pieces show , was based not only upon ' sceptical ' objections to dogmatic teaching , but also upon a public rhetoric in which empirical ...
Page xxv
... human kind , disposed to be troubled by its own conduct , seeks to ameliorate its passions and so mitigate their worst consequences . Since human beings pursue both perfection and destructiveness to escape their disquiet , they can ...
... human kind , disposed to be troubled by its own conduct , seeks to ameliorate its passions and so mitigate their worst consequences . Since human beings pursue both perfection and destructiveness to escape their disquiet , they can ...
Page xxvi
... humanity . Bayle's method is to describe these theories without endorsing them . It seemed evident , as he asserts in the article ' Xenophanes ' , that man ' by his nature ' ( Xen ( E ) ) , is ' prone to do harm ( au mal ) ' . Yet when ...
... humanity . Bayle's method is to describe these theories without endorsing them . It seemed evident , as he asserts in the article ' Xenophanes ' , that man ' by his nature ' ( Xen ( E ) ) , is ' prone to do harm ( au mal ) ' . Yet when ...
Page xxx
... human- ist Justus Lipsius - that diversity in religion was always prejudicial to security ( see CPD , pp . 189–90 ) . In consequence , with the end of the Dutch War in 1679 , and convinced that there was a political case for eliminating ...
... human- ist Justus Lipsius - that diversity in religion was always prejudicial to security ( see CPD , pp . 189–90 ) . In consequence , with the end of the Dutch War in 1679 , and convinced that there was a political case for eliminating ...
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Common terms and phrases
according arguments assassination assert atheists Bayle's believe Bodin Calvin Calvinists Catholic cause Christian church Cicero cite civil condemned conscience David death Dictionary Diogenes Laertius divine doctrine Edict Edict of Nantes favour fear France Henry Henry III Henry IV heretics Histoire Hobbes honour Hotman House of Guise Huguenots Ibid ideas Jacques Clément Jesuits judge judgement Juno Jurieu king L'Histoire l'Hôpital Labrousse Laelius Socinus letter liberty lived Machiavelli Mâcon Maimbourg Mariana matter maxims mind moral nature Navarre obliged obscenities observe omitted opinion Ovid pagans paperback Paris parlement party peace Pensées diverses persecution person philosophers Pierre Bayle Political Writings edited politique Pope praise prince principle Protestant punish Pyrrhonism queen reason Reformed refuted religion religious Remark reply Republic Roman Saint Scripture sect Socinians Socinus sort sovereign supposed Theodore Beza Théophile Raynaud things thought toleration true truth virtue words Xenophanes