Stefan Zweig with "violence against conscience" tells the story that opposed the XVI th century humanist Sebastian Castellio Protestant theologian John Calvin skillfully demonstrating how a dictatorship and a totalitarian regime sets in and takes control of a country and a population. The author then shows us with a fine and precise analyzes how Calvin stifled all dissent and views contrary to its dogmas imposing by fear and submission all these precepts condemning maliciously and without retained all these opponents. Zweig shows how the human spirit eventually adapts quickly to his plight in his new dictatorial state and how a spirit promoting tolerance is disarmed facing obscurantism and fanatical minds, how the triumph strength then. This book could not be more prescient which was published in 1936 while Germany bent under the yoke of Nazism remains strangely topical to the worrying rise of extremist dangers. The author clearly demonstrating that it is precisely where freedom makes us the effect of a habit, losing its sacred bond that mysterious will then emerges from the darkness of the tent assaulted that man enjoying too long with carelessness of peace is picked from the desire to know the intoxication of strength and will to fight. Here is a fascinating book and informative surprise, and if we do not doubt the veracity of the facts, we still regret the lack of references to substantiate citations for the main protagonists of the story. Personally being of Huguenot origin and Calvinste I learned a lot, I note with pleasure that with my grandparents always ruled the joy and the spirit of tolerance, there is no doubt that they should be unconditional followers of Sebastian Castellio .
