Pierre Bayle | |
|---|---|
 Bayle c. 1675 | |
| Born | 18 November 1647 |
| Died | 28 December 1706 (aged 59) |
| Era | 17th-century philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Philosophical skepticism |
Main interests | Epistemology |
Notable ideas | Bayle's skeptical trilemma[1][2] |
Pierre Bayle (French: [bɛl]; 18 November 1647 – 28 December 1706)[3] was a French philosopher, author, and lexicographer. He is best known for his Historical and Critical Dictionary, whose publication began in 1697.[3] Many of the more controversial ideas in the book were hidden away in the voluminous footnotes, or they were slipped into articles on seemingly uncontroversial topics. Bayle is commonly regarded as a forerunner of the Encyclopédistes of the mid-18th century.
A Huguenot, Bayle fled to the Dutch Republic in 1681 because of religious persecution in France. Bayle was a notable advocate of religious toleration, and his skeptical philosophy had a significant influence on the subsequent growth and development of the European Age of Enlightenment. Leibniz's theodicy was formed in response to Bayle.
- ^ Dale Jacquette, David Hume's Critique of Infinity, Brill, 2001, pp. 22–23, 25–28
- ^ "Bayle's trilemma". Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
- ^ a b Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 557.