Pierre Bayle (; 18 November 1647 – 28 December 1706)
was a French philosopher, author, and
lexicographer
Lexicography is the study of lexicons, and is divided into two separate academic disciplines. It is the art of compiling dictionaries.
* Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionaries.
* Theoreti ...
. A
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...
, Bayle fled to the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
in 1681 because of
religious persecution
Religious persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or a group of individuals as a response to their religion, religious beliefs or affiliations or their irreligion, lack thereof. The tendency of societies or groups within soc ...
in France. He is best known for his ''
Historical and Critical Dictionary'', whose publication began in 1697.
Bayle was a notable advocate of religious
toleration
Toleration is the allowing, permitting, or acceptance of an action, idea, object, or person which one dislikes or disagrees with. Political scientist Andrew R. Murphy explains that "We can improve our understanding by defining "toleration" as ...
, and his
skeptical
Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the p ...
philosophy had a significant influence on the subsequent growth and development of the European
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment or the Enlightenment; german: Aufklärung, "Enlightenment"; it, L'Illuminismo, "Enlightenment"; pl, Oświecenie, "Enlightenment"; pt, Iluminismo, "Enlightenment"; es, La Ilustración, "Enlightenment" was an intel ...
. Bayle is commonly regarded as a forerunner of the ''
Encyclopédistes
The Encyclopédistes () (also known in British English as Encyclopaedists, or in U.S. English as Encyclopedists) were members of the , a French writers' society, who contributed to the development of the ''Encyclopédie'' from June 1751 to Decembe ...
'' of the mid-18th century.
Biography
Bayle was born at
Carla-le-Comte (later renamed
Carla-Bayle
Carla-Bayle is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. It was the birthplace of Pierre Bayle (1647–1706), a Protestant philosopher and writer known for his works on religious toleration and his early encyclopedia.
Hist ...
in his honour), near
Pamiers
Pamiers (; oc, Pàmias ) is a commune and largest city in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the most populous commune in the Ariège department, although i ...
,
Ariège, France. He was educated by his father, a
Calvinist
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
minister, and at an academy at
Puylaurens
Puylaurens (; oc, Puèglaurenç) is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France. The poet Suzon de Terson was born here in 1657.
See also
*Communes of the Tarn department
The following is a list of the 314 communes of the Tarn de ...
. In 1669, he entered a
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
college at
Toulouse
Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
and became a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
a month later. After seventeen months, he returned to Calvinism and fled to
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
, where he learned about the teachings of
René Descartes
René Descartes ( or ; ; Latinized: Renatus Cartesius; 31 March 1596 – 11 February 1650) was a French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, widely considered a seminal figure in the emergence of modern philosophy and science. Mathem ...
. He returned to France and went to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, where for some years he worked under the name of Bèle as a tutor for various families. In 1675, he was appointed to the chair of philosophy at the Protestant
Academy of Sedan.
In 1681, the university at
Sedan was suppressed by the government in action against Protestants.
Just before that event, Bayle had fled to the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
, where he almost immediately was appointed professor of philosophy and history at the École Illustre in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
.
He taught for many years but became embroiled in a long, internal quarrel in the college that resulted in Bayle being deprived of his chair in 1693.
Bayle remained in Rotterdam until his death on 28 December 1706.
He was buried in Rotterdam in the "Walloon church", where
Pierre Jurieu
Pierre Jurieu (24 December 1637 – 11 January 1713) was a French Protestant leader.
Life
He was born at Mer, in Orléanais, where his father was a Protestant pastor. He studied at the Academy of Saumur and the Academy of Sedan under his gra ...
would also be buried seven years later. After the demolition of this church in 1922, the graves were relocated to the
Crooswijk General Cemetery in Rotterdam. A memorial stone shows that Pierre Bayle is in these graves.
Writings
At Rotterdam, Bayle published his famous ' in 1682, as well as his critique of
Louis Maimbourg
Louis Maimbourg ( la, Ludovicus Mamburgus; January 10, 1610, Nancy – August 13, 1686, Paris) was a French Jesuit and historian.
Biography
Born at Nancy, Maimbourg entered the Society of Jesus at the age of sixteen, and after studying at Rome ...
's work on the history of Calvinism. The reputation achieved by this critique stirred the envy of
Pierre Jurieu
Pierre Jurieu (24 December 1637 – 11 January 1713) was a French Protestant leader.
Life
He was born at Mer, in Orléanais, where his father was a Protestant pastor. He studied at the Academy of Saumur and the Academy of Sedan under his gra ...
, Bayle's Calvinist colleague of both Sedan and Rotterdam, who had written a book on the same subject.
Between 1684 and 1687, Bayle published his ''Nouvelles de la république des lettres'', a journal of
literary criticism. In 1686, Bayle published the first two volumes of ''
Philosophical Commentary'', an early plea for toleration in religious matters. This was followed by volumes three and four in 1687 and 1688.
In 1690 there appeared a work entitled ''
Avis important aux refugiés'', which Jurieu attributed to Bayle, whom he attacked with great animosity. After losing his chair, Bayle engaged in the preparation of his massive ''
Dictionnaire Historique et Critique'' (''Historical and Critical Dictionary''), which effectively constituted one of the first
encyclopaedia
An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles ...
s (before the term had come into wide circulation) of ideas and their originators. In the ''Dictionary'', Bayle expressed his view that much that was considered to be "truth" was actually just opinion, and that gullibility and stubbornness were prevalent. The ''Dictionary'' would remain an important scholarly work for several generations after its publication.
The remaining years of Bayle's life were devoted to miscellaneous writings; in many cases, he was responding to criticisms made of his ''Dictionary''.
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...
, in the prelude to his ''
Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne
The "Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne" (English title: ''Poem on the Lisbon Disaster'') is a poem in French composed by Voltaire as a response to the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. It is widely regarded as an introduction to Voltaire's 1759 acclaimed ...
'', calls Bayle "''le plus grand dialecticien qui ait jamais écrit''": the greatest
dialectician to have ever written.
The ''Nouvelles de la république des lettres'' was the first thorough-going attempt to popularise literature, and it was eminently successful. His multi-volume ''Historical and Critical Dictionary'' constitutes Bayle's masterpiece. The English translation of ''The Dictionary'', by Bayle's fellow Huguenot exile
Pierre des Maizeaux
Pierre des Maizeaux, also spelled Desmaizeaux (c. 1666 or 1673June 1745), was a French Huguenot writer exiled in London, best known as the translator and biographer of Pierre Bayle.
He was born in Pailhat, Auvergne, France. His father, a minister ...
, was identified by American President
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
to be among the one hundred foundational texts to form the first collection of the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
.
Views on toleration
Bayle advanced arguments for
religious toleration
Religious toleration may signify "no more than forbearance and the permission given by the adherents of a dominant religion for other religions to exist, even though the latter are looked on with disapproval as inferior, mistaken, or harmful". ...
in his ''Dictionnaire historique et critique'' and ''Commentaire Philosophique''. Bayle rejected the use of scripture to justify coercion and violence: "One must transcribe almost the whole New Testament to collect all the Proofs it affords us of that Gentleness and Long-suffering, which constitute the distinguishing and essential Character of the Gospel." He did not regard toleration as a danger to the state; on the contrary:
"If the Multiplicity of Religions prejudices the State, it proceeds from their not bearing with one another but on the contrary endeavouring each to crush and destroy the other by methods of Persecution. In a word, all the Mischief arises not from Toleration, but from the want of it."
Skepticism
Richard Popkin has advanced the view that Pierre Bayle was a
skeptic
Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the ...
who used the ''
Historical and Critical Dictionary'' to criticise all prior known theories and philosophies. In Bayle's view, humans were inherently incapable of achieving true knowledge. Because of the limitations of human reason, men should adhere instead to their conscience alone. Bayle was critical of many influential rationalists, such as
René Descartes
René Descartes ( or ; ; Latinized: Renatus Cartesius; 31 March 1596 – 11 February 1650) was a French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, widely considered a seminal figure in the emergence of modern philosophy and science. Mathem ...
,
Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes ( ; 5/15 April 1588 – 4/14 December 1679) was an English philosopher, considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy. Hobbes is best known for his 1651 book ''Leviathan'', in which he expounds an influ ...
,
Baruch Spinoza,
Nicolas Malebranche
Nicolas Malebranche ( , ; 6 August 1638 – 13 October 1715) was a French Oratorian Catholic priest and rationalist philosopher. In his works, he sought to synthesize the thought of St. Augustine and Descartes, in order to demonstrate the ...
and
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Gottfried Wilhelm (von) Leibniz . ( – 14 November 1716) was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent figures in both the history of philosophy and the history of math ...
, as well as empiricists such as
John Locke
John Locke (; 29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the "father of liberalism ...
and
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a "natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the grea ...
.
Popkin quotes the following passage as an example of Bayle's skeptical viewpoint:
It eason Eason is a surname.
The name comes from Aythe where the first recorded spelling of the family name is that of Aythe Filius Thome which was dated circa 1630, in the "Baillie of Stratherne". Aythe ''filius'' Thome received a charter of the lands of F ...
is a guide that leads one astray; and philosophy can be compared to some powders that are so corrosive that, after they have eaten away the infected flesh of a wound, they then devour the living flesh, rot the bones, and penetrate to the very marrow. Philosophy at first refutes errors. But if it is not stopped at this point, it goes on to attack truths. And when it is left on its own, it goes so far that it no longer knows where it is and can find no stopping place.
Legacy and honors
*In 1906 a statue in his honor was erected at
Pamiers
Pamiers (; oc, Pàmias ) is a commune and largest city in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the most populous commune in the Ariège department, although i ...
, ''la reparation d'un long oubli'' ("the reparation of a long neglect").
*In 1959 a street was named after him in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
.
*In 2012 a bench (By Paul Cox) in tribute to Bayle, to reflect on the (hypothetical) philosophical exchange of thought between Bayle and Erasmus. (concept of thought: JW van den Blink)
Selected works
* ''Pensées Diverses sur l'Occasion de la Comète'', (1682) translated as ''Various Thoughts on the Occasion of a Comet'' (2000) by Robert C. Bartlett, SUNY Press.
* ''Historical and Critical Dictionary'' (1695–1697; 1702, enlarged; best that of P. des Maizeaux, 4 vols., 1740)
* ''Œuvres diverses'', 5 vols., The Hague, 1727–31; anastatic reprint: Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1964–68.
* Selections in English: Pierre Bayle (Richard H. Popkin transl.), ''Historical and Critical Dictionary – Selections'', Indianapolis: Hackett, 1991. .
See also
*
Elisabeth Labrousse
Elisabeth Labrousse (10 January 1914 – 1 February 2000) was a French philosopher, historian, and academic. She became known for her work on Pierre Bayle and the history of French Protestantism.
Early life and education
Elisabeth Goguel was born ...
References
Citations
Sources
*
Further reading
* Sally Jenkinson, (dir.), ''Bayle: Political Writings'', Cambridge UK: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
* Sally Jenkinson, Reflections on Pierre Bayle and Elizabeth Labrousse, and their Huguenot critique of intolerance, Proc. Huguenot Soc., 27: 325–334, 2000.
* Elisabeth Labrousse, ''Pierre Bayle'', La Haye: Martinus Nijhoff, 1963–4 (2 volumes).
* Elisabeth Labrousse, ''Bayle'', translated by Denys Potts, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983.
* Thomas M. Lennon, ''Reading Bayle'', Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1999.
* Todd Ryan, ''Pierre Bayle's Cartesian Metaphysics: Rediscovering Early Modern Philosophy'', New York: Routledge, 2009..
External links
*
*
''An Historical and Critical Dictionary Vol 1–4'' Hathi TrustPierre Bayle
''An Historical and Critical Dictionary, Volume 1''Pierre Bayle
''An Historical and Critical Dictionary, Volume 2''Pierre Bayle
''An Historical and Critical Dictionary, Volume 3''Pierre Bayle
*
*
''Historical and Critical Dictionary'' in French, starting with the entry for Aaron. 11th edition, 1820, Desoer, Paris. Archive.org*
ttp://www.earlymoderntexts.com/authors/leibniz.html Contains the exchanges between Bayle and Leibniz, slightly modified for easier readingThe Correspondence of Pierre Bayle i
EMLO
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bayle, Pierre
1647 births
1706 deaths
17th-century Calvinist and Reformed Christians
17th-century Dutch philosophers
17th-century Dutch historians
17th-century French male writers
17th-century French philosophers
17th-century French historians
17th-century lexicographers
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Age of Enlightenment
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