'Mens regnum bona possidet': scepticisme, fidéisme et naturalisme dans le “Dialogue sur le sujet de la divinité” de La Mothe Le Vayer

The essay analyzes the relationship between scepticism, fideism and naturalism in La Mothe le Vayer’s sceptical dialogue, “Dialogue sur le sujet de la divinité”, published anonymous in 1631. In this dialogue, La Mothe defines himself as a disciple of Sextus Empiricus and uses scepticism as a weapon against the religion. La Mothe’s fideism is not tragic or dramatic and aims to reach a “philosophical liberty” (“libertas philosophandi”). The dialogue also presents the cautious attitude of La Mothe towards religious doubts.