ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the relevance of China to various aspects of Pierre Bayle's political thought: the idea of an atheistic society, his thought on cultural diversity, imperialism, toleration, and monarchy. Bayle displayed a sceptical attitude concerning the possibility of bridging cultural diversity despite the universality of human nature. Bayle's cross-cultural scepticism prevented him from arriving at a definitive or consistent position. Bayle championed sovereign rule against Jesuitical imperialism. He linked religious intolerance with imperialism. His advocacy of toleration and defence of a virtuous society of atheists appear to be forerunners to modern liberal secularism. Although Bayle did not closely examine the nature of Chinese government, his reflections on Chinese toleration and atheism indicated China's conformity with rational absolutism. According to Bayle, the speculative atheism of the Chinese literati and perhaps of the Chinese as a whole was in accord with the Spinozist idea of an immanent nature which is the cause of all things.
