About
Pierre Bayle, French philosopher and writer, was born on November 18, 1647, in Carla-le-Comte (now Carla-Bayle) and died on December 28, 1706, in Rotterdam. A Huguenot, he briefly converted to Catholicism in 1669 before returning to Calvinism. Fleeing persecution, he settled in the Netherlands, where he taught philosophy and history. His major work, the Historical and Critical Dictionary (1697), had a considerable influence on the Enlightenment. He defended religious tolerance and the separation of faith and reason, and his reflections on evil inspired Leibniz's Theodicy.
* 1647-11-18 — † 1706-12-28
Major works
- Pensées diverses sur la comète de 1680 (1682)essay
- Commentaire philosophique (1686)treatise
- Dictionnaire historique et critique (1697)encyclopedic dictionary
Key milestones
- 1681Settles in Rotterdam and becomes professor at the École Illustre.
- 1684Founds and edits the journal Nouvelles de la république des lettres.
- 1693Is deprived of his chair in Rotterdam after a quarrel with theologian Pierre Jurieu.
Themes
Religious toleranceSeparation of faith and reasonSkepticismProblem of evilFreedom of conscience
Sources: plato.stanford.edu · data.bnf.fr · iep.utm.edu