18. - Bayle, Pierre (1647–1706)

Summary

Pierre Bayle was a French Huguenot philosopher and founding editor of the journal Nouvelles de la République des Lettres. His principal work, the Dictionnaire historique et critique, was a massive encyclopedia, whose extensive article on Spinoza was of both historical and philosophical importance. Historically, Bayle’s painstaking research into the details of Spinoza’s life and works made the article an indispensable source of information concerning the Dutch philosopher. Philosophically, the article featured one of the earliest and most influential critical engagements with Spinoza’s metaphysical system, a reading that would shape the reception of Spinoza’s work throughout much of the eighteenth century. In addition, Bayle’s portrayal of Spinoza as the exemplar of the virtuous atheist enjoyed great currency among Enlightenment thinkers and, in particular, the French philosophes.