Bayle and Voltaire: the bet for tolerance

Abstract

Both Bayle and Voltaire make a firm commitment to tolerance in different life circumstance. The former, by refuting the inter-pretation of Luke's words by St. Augustine, which lead to the justification of intolerance to destroy heresy; the latter, by disclosing the Cala's sentence to the gallows, due to the Popish fanaticism. For Bayle, one must act conscience, which has also its rights, and never go against reason. For V oltaire, fanaticism end dogmatism unhinge and subvert societies, turn-ing them into hell. Only tolerance is the social good for the plurality of beliefs. Both call for a political solution to tolerance.