Absolutism and Despotism in Samuel Sorbière. Notes on Skepticism and Politics

The study analyzes the relationship between scepticism and politics in Samuel Sorbière’s who published an unfinished French translation of Sextus’s “Hypotyposes” (1660), translated in French Hobbes’ “De cive”, and wrote in 1656 some “Discourses sceptiques” addressed to abbé de Marolles. The sceptical attitude of the “Discourses” leads to a political conservatism that turns into active support of absolutism. In Sorbière’s interpretation only absolutism seems to ensure peace in French and in Europe.