Various Thoughts on the Occasion of a Comet

Bayle, arguably the primary intellectual predecessor to the Enlightenment, sought in this text to undermine the influence of "superstition" in politics, particularly the superstition brought about by religious beliefs, and it is here that he first made his suggestion that a decent society of atheists is possible in principle. Translator Robert Bartlett provides extensive notes and an introduction to Bayle, his influence, and the intricacies of . Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR