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Pierre Bayle.
Pierre Bayle.
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Pierre Bayle (November 18, 1647 – December 28, 1706) was a French philosopher and writer. This article is a general introduction to French literature For detailed information on French literature in specific historic periods see the separate historical articles in the Medieval French literature is for the purpose of this article Literature written in Oïl languages (particularly Old French and early Middle For more information on historical developments in this period see Renaissance, History of France, and Early Modern France. French literature of the 17th century &mdashthe so-called Grand Siècle &mdashspans the reigns of Henry IV of France, the Regency of Marie de Medici French literature of the 18th century usually refers to the literature written between 1715, the year of the death of King Louis XIV of France, and 1798 the year French literature of the nineteenth century is for the purpose of this article literature written in French from (roughly 1799 to 1900 French literature of the twentieth century is for the purpose of this article literature written in French from (roughly 1895 to 1990 Contemporary French literature is French literature roughly from the 1990s to Today. Chronological list of French language authors (regardless of nationality by date of birth Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Year 1706 ( MDCCVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language

Contents

Biography

Pierre Bayle was a progressive Christian scholar who argued that faith could not be justified by reason, on the grounds that God is incomprehensible to man. As one of his proofs he pointed out that no reasonable person could discern any sense in God's choice of a leader for the Jewish nation: King David was indisputably a liar, murderer, thief and adulterer. Although Bayle's intent was to turn people against reason in matters of faith, he was so thorough in debunking the reasonableness and coherence of religion that his works subsequently influenced the development of the Enlightenment. The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century In fact, he was considered by many to be a skeptic. In ordinary usage skepticism or scepticism ( Greek 'σκέπτομαι' skeptomai, to look about to consider see also spelling differences Exceedingly influential in his time, the author is little known today (important though his role has been both as a forerunner of the Encyclopedists, and as a pioneer in the advancement of the principle of the toleration of divergent beliefs). The Encyclopédistes were a group of 18th century writers in France who compiled the Encyclopédie edited by Denis Diderot and

He was born at Carla-le-Comte (later renamed Carla-Bayle in his honor), near Pamiers (Ariège), and was educated by his father, a Calvinist minister, and at an academy at Puylaurens. Carla-Bayle is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. Carla-Bayle is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. Pamiers is a commune in the Ariège département in southwestern France. Ariège ( Occitan: Arièja) is a department in southwestern France named after the Ariège River. Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the Puylaurens is a town and commune located in the Tarn département in southwestern France. He afterwards entered a Jesuit college at Toulouse, and became a Roman Catholic a month later (1669). The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest After seventeen months, he returned to Calvinism, fleeing to Geneva in order to avoid persecution. Geneva (Genève is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French -speaking In Geneva, he became acquainted with the teachings of René Descartes. For some years he worked under the name of Bèle as a tutor for various Parisian families, but in 1675 he was appointed to the chair of philosophy at the Protestant University of Sedan. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

In 1681 the university at Sedan was suppressed. Just before that event, Bayle had fled to the Dutch Republic, where he almost immediately was appointed professor of philosophy and history at the Ecole Illustre in Rotterdam. "United Netherlands" redirects here For the "Kingdom of the United Netherlands" see United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Rotterdam (pronounced) is the 2nd-largest City by population in the Netherlands, located in the province of There he published his famous Pensées diverses sur la comète de 1680 in 1682, as well as his critique of Louis Maimbourg's work on the history of Calvinism. Louis Maimbourg ( 1610 - August 13, 1686) was a French Jesuit and Historian. Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the The great reputation achieved by this critique stirred the envy of Bayle's calvinist colleague of both Sedan and Rotterdam, Pierre Jurieu, who had written a book on the same subject. Pierre Jurieu ( December 24 1637 - January 11, 1713) was a French Protestant leader

In 1684 Bayle began the publication of his Nouvelles de la république des lettres, a journal of literary criticism. In 1690 there appeared a work entitled Avis important aux refugies, which Jurieu attributed to Bayle, whom he attacked with great animosity. After a long quarrel, Bayle was deprived of his chair in 1693. However, he was not depressed by this misfortune, especially as he was at the time engaged in the preparation of his massive magnum opus, the Historical and Critical Dictionary, which actually constituted one of the first encyclopedias (before the term had come into wide circulation) of ideas and their originators. The Dictionnaire Historique et Critique (or Historical and Critical Dictionary in English was a biographical Dictionary written by Pierre Bayle's attempt at impartial presentation of these ideas was instituted within a non-partisan framework of thoughtful consideration of both sides of any dispute. In his articles on the founder of Islam "Mahomet" and the Italian reforming monk Savonarola, to take but two examples, Bayle displays his penchant for judicious assessment of highly controversial figures and philosophies, while eschewing partisan interpretations. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics Girolamo Savonarola ( September 21, 1452 &ndash May 23, 1498) was an Italian Dominican priest and leader of Florence from While this striving for objectivity is a standard criterion of scholarship in the modern world, in Bayle's time he was among the first to implement it in a sustained intellectual endeavor like his "Dictionary," amidst a sea of contentious ideologies and their zealous proponents.

The remaining years of Bayle's life were devoted to miscellaneous writings, arising in many instances out of criticisms made of his Dictionary. He remained in Rotterdam until his death on 28 December 1706 and was buried there in the Waalse Kerk where Jurrieu would be buried as well, 7 years later. Rotterdam (pronounced) is the 2nd-largest City by population in the Netherlands, located in the province of Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Year 1706 ( MDCCVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Already in 1706 a statue in his honor was erected at Pamiers, "la reparation d'un long oubli" ("the reparation of a long neglect"). Year 1706 ( MDCCVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a In 1959 a street was named after him in Rotterdam.

Bayle's erudition was considerable. As an original thinker, he was not outstanding; but as a critic he was deemed second to none in his own time, and even now the insight and skill with which he handled his subject is notable. The Nouvelles de la république des lettres (see Louis P. Betz, P. Bayle und die Nouvelles de la république des lettres, Zürich, 1896) was the first thorough-going attempt to popularize literature, and it was eminently successful. His multi-volume Historical and Critical Dictionary, however, constitutes Bayle's masterpiece. The Dictionnaire Historique et Critique (or Historical and Critical Dictionary in English was a biographical Dictionary written by Pierre The astute English translation of "The Dictionary," by Bayle's fellow Huguenot exile, Pierre des Maizeaux, was named by U. Pierre des Maizeaux (also spelled "Desmaizeaux" (1666?-1745 S. President Thomas Jefferson as one of the one hundred foundational texts that formed the first collection of the Library of Congress. Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4 1826 was the third President of the United States (1801–1809 the principal author of the Declaration of Independence The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress

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Persondata
NAME Bayle, Pierre
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION French writer and philosopher
DATE OF BIRTH November 18, 1647
PLACE OF BIRTH Carla-le-Comte, near Pamiers (Ariège)
DATE OF DEATH December 28, 1706
PLACE OF DEATH Rotterdam
Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Carla-Bayle is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. Pamiers is a commune in the Ariège département in southwestern France. Ariège ( Occitan: Arièja) is a department in southwestern France named after the Ariège River. Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Year 1706 ( MDCCVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Rotterdam (pronounced) is the 2nd-largest City by population in the Netherlands, located in the province of
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