Pierre Bayle's Philosophical Commentary (American University Studies Series V, Philosophy)

Little progress has been made toward real religious toleration since 1686 when Pierre Bayle penned his Philosophical Commentary which warned of the danger of religious extremism and its political consequences.
This study delineates Bayle's role as pre-eminent defender of religious toleration and the separation of church and state in continental Europe of the late seventeenth century. It shows that Bayle's concept of universal toleration was earlier, more complete and all-encompassing than his better-known English contemporary John Locke.
This modern translation will be of special interest to students of the Enlightenment, as well as to scholars interested in the history of ideas and political philosophy.