Le moment machiavélien de Pierre Bayle

Reading the “Florentine” entries of the Historical and Critical Dictionary, the author tries to explain how Bayle commented on Machiavelli's Prince and Discourses regarding some crucial topics: the relationship between religion and politics, but also the subjects of republics and democracy, the relationship between morals and society, the character of the prophet, either “armed” or “unarmed.” With his usual anti-conformism, Bayle contrasted both the libertine readings (Naudé was one of his main sources) and the Huguenot condemnation, represented by Innocent Gentillet. Behind the historical figure of Savonarola, the contemporary prophet of Bayle, Pierre Jurieu, stands out.