« Entre deux aimants » : fidélité confessionelle et athéisme philosophique chez Bayle

A defender of the good theoretical reasons for philosophical atheism, Bayle nevertheless never assumed the attitude of the assertive and zealous atheist. In his view, the atheist is as such extraneous to any missionary impulse, unlike the believer who is obliged by a divine commandment to propagate his faith even at the risk of martyrdom: the atheist who is consistent with his principles should have no difficulty in conforming outwardly to the dominant religion. Despite the atheistic implications of his philosophical path, Bayle certainly did not stick to this line. In fact, he clearly states that there are ‘personnes sans religion’ who remain united to the religious community in which they have grown up even though it is persecuted: a moral and existential choice that is compatible with the attitude to which ‘le philosophe de Rotterdam’ adhered throughout his life, combining absolute intellectual freedom towards religious tradition with a stubborn will not to separate himself from his Church.