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Various Thoughts on Occasion of a Comet
"I tremble when I recall the terrible appearance [the comet] had on Saturday evening in the clear sky, when it was observed by everybody with inexpressible astonishment. It seemed as though the heavens were burning, or as if the very air was on fire…[F]rom this little star stretched out such a wonderfully long tail that even an intellectual man was overcome with trembling; one's hair stood on end as this uncommon, terrible, and indescribable tail came into view…O wonderful almighty God! The heavens show thy might and the earth thy handiwork!" — Eyewitness account of a comet which appeared over Europe on December 24, 1680
The appearance of this comet caused so many panicked inquiries to be made of Pierre Bayle, one of the Enlightenment's greatest thinkers, that he decided to formally respond to them, hence the present work, which first appeared in 1682. The book's principle task was to undermine the influence of "superstition" in political life, and it was here that Bayle made the notorious suggestion, unique in the history of political thought until then, that a decent society of atheists is possible in principle. There is no other English translation of this book in print—the only other version was printed in 1708. This translation is based on a recently revised critical edition of the complete French text and includes a substantial interpretive essay that both elucidates the arguments of the work and indicates the importance of Bayle in the history of the modern Enlightenment.
The appearance of this comet caused so many panicked inquiries to be made of Pierre Bayle, one of the Enlightenment's greatest thinkers, that he decided to formally respond to them, hence the present work, which first appeared in 1682. The book's principle task was to undermine the influence of "superstition" in political life, and it was here that Bayle made the notorious suggestion, unique in the history of political thought until then, that a decent society of atheists is possible in principle. There is no other English translation of this book in print—the only other version was printed in 1708. This translation is based on a recently revised critical edition of the complete French text and includes a substantial interpretive essay that both elucidates the arguments of the work and indicates the importance of Bayle in the history of the modern Enlightenment.
271 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1682
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About the author
Pierre Bayle
588 books28 followersFrench philosopher Pierre Bayle, considered the progenitor of 18th-century rationalism, compiled the famous
Dictionnaire historique et critique
in 1697 and championed the cause of religious tolerance.
People later renamed Carla-le-Comte as Carla-Bayle in his honour.
His father, a Calvinist minister, and an academy at Puylaurens educated him. He afterwards entered a Jesuit college at Toulouse and, a month later in 1669, joined as a Roman Catholic. After seventeen months, he returned to Calvinism and fled to Geneva.
The teachings of René Descartes acquainted him. He returned, went to Paris, and for some years worked under the name of Bèle as a tutor for various families. In 1675, people appointed him to the chair at the Protestant academy of Sedan. In 1681, the government suppressed the university at Sedan in action against Protestants.
Bayle fled to the Dutch Republic just before that event, and the École Illustre in Rotterdam almost immediately appointed him professor. He taught for many years, but a long internal quarrel in the college embroiled him. As a result, people deprived Bayle of his chair in 1693.
Bayle in Rotterdam died. People buried his body and that of Pierre Jurieu, seven years later, in the Waalse Kerk.
People later renamed Carla-le-Comte as Carla-Bayle in his honour.
His father, a Calvinist minister, and an academy at Puylaurens educated him. He afterwards entered a Jesuit college at Toulouse and, a month later in 1669, joined as a Roman Catholic. After seventeen months, he returned to Calvinism and fled to Geneva.
The teachings of René Descartes acquainted him. He returned, went to Paris, and for some years worked under the name of Bèle as a tutor for various families. In 1675, people appointed him to the chair at the Protestant academy of Sedan. In 1681, the government suppressed the university at Sedan in action against Protestants.
Bayle fled to the Dutch Republic just before that event, and the École Illustre in Rotterdam almost immediately appointed him professor. He taught for many years, but a long internal quarrel in the college embroiled him. As a result, people deprived Bayle of his chair in 1693.
Bayle in Rotterdam died. People buried his body and that of Pierre Jurieu, seven years later, in the Waalse Kerk.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 21, 2025
J’ai délaissé ce livre pdt mes études car j’étais persuadée qu’il allait me soûler mais au final c'était top !!
Bayle part d’une superstition qui nous paraît désormais ridicule (les comètes = un signe divin annonçant un grand malheur) pour discuter de moralité, des mœurs, de la nature humaine, des dangers du dogmatisme, du libre arbitre et (avec les barrières de l’époque) de science et laïcité (il désenchante le monde en proposant une économie des miracles tout en conservant Dieu en cause première). J’ai trouvé son essais aussi divertissant qu’intéressant, rien que son personnage de catholique peu crédible était au top ahah
Y’a vraiment qch pour tout le monde dans ce livre ! Bayle discute des conflits basés sur de fausses prémisses, de la curiosité humaine, de la sagesse en dehors de la foi, des difficultés des morales dogmatiques (les hommes ne respectent jamais leurs principes en situation), de l’amoralité "naturelle", des différences entre opinion dominante et vérité, du manque de logique dans le traitement des "péchés" (on brûle des hommes pour une moindre offense, comme la remise en cause d’une théorie théologique dominante, et on pardonne des autres pour plus grave, comme des meutres, par peur de renverser l’ordre des dominants => dans la 1ere situation les religieux et leurs discours sont eux mêmes remis en cause vs 0 chgt concret). Il ose critiquer la moralité des croisades en les rattachant au désir de violence et domination et s’il n’ose pas critiquer trop ouvertement la religion du roi il est facile de rattacher sa critique de l’idolâtrie aux problèmes du catholicisme à son époque et d’y trouver le plaidoyer caché pour la tolérance religieuse, même l’athéisme dont il reste très critique. Il touche les premières Lumières eheh
Le thème central reste l’ego/hybris dont l’étude et la critique reviennent à chaque section. Si on enlève la dernière partie où il se fait stratège pour la France j'ai été globalement très surprise et satisfaite de cette lecture ! Le style est plaisant et l’édition est vraiment au top :)
4/5
Bayle part d’une superstition qui nous paraît désormais ridicule (les comètes = un signe divin annonçant un grand malheur) pour discuter de moralité, des mœurs, de la nature humaine, des dangers du dogmatisme, du libre arbitre et (avec les barrières de l’époque) de science et laïcité (il désenchante le monde en proposant une économie des miracles tout en conservant Dieu en cause première). J’ai trouvé son essais aussi divertissant qu’intéressant, rien que son personnage de catholique peu crédible était au top ahah
Y’a vraiment qch pour tout le monde dans ce livre ! Bayle discute des conflits basés sur de fausses prémisses, de la curiosité humaine, de la sagesse en dehors de la foi, des difficultés des morales dogmatiques (les hommes ne respectent jamais leurs principes en situation), de l’amoralité "naturelle", des différences entre opinion dominante et vérité, du manque de logique dans le traitement des "péchés" (on brûle des hommes pour une moindre offense, comme la remise en cause d’une théorie théologique dominante, et on pardonne des autres pour plus grave, comme des meutres, par peur de renverser l’ordre des dominants => dans la 1ere situation les religieux et leurs discours sont eux mêmes remis en cause vs 0 chgt concret). Il ose critiquer la moralité des croisades en les rattachant au désir de violence et domination et s’il n’ose pas critiquer trop ouvertement la religion du roi il est facile de rattacher sa critique de l’idolâtrie aux problèmes du catholicisme à son époque et d’y trouver le plaidoyer caché pour la tolérance religieuse, même l’athéisme dont il reste très critique. Il touche les premières Lumières eheh
Le thème central reste l’ego/hybris dont l’étude et la critique reviennent à chaque section. Si on enlève la dernière partie où il se fait stratège pour la France j'ai été globalement très surprise et satisfaite de cette lecture ! Le style est plaisant et l’édition est vraiment au top :)
4/5
January 1, 2026
À bientôt!
February 26, 2009
the first systematic account in the history of political thought that a stable society of atheists could exist, in principle. disentangling religious belief from practical virtue, bayle presents us with an account of the human heart and the passions that motivate us to act. it is amour-propre, or self love-- the love of self as interpreted through the lenses of what others think of us-- that motivate us to act-- specifically the desire for honor and the aversion to dishonor. smart, sharp, and to the point.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews