Rousseau On Civil Religion Essay Research Paper

Rousseau On Civil Religion Essay, Research Paper

Religion is a component of almost every society. Knowing this, one might look

at the function it serves. For Jean-Jacques Rousseau, religion, specifically

a civil religion established by the Sovereign, is an instrument of politics

that serves a motivating function. In a new society people are unable to

understand the purpose of the law. Therefore, civil religion motivates people

to obey the law because they fear some divine being. For a developed

society, civil religion motivates people to maintain the habit of obedience

because they grow to understand and love the law.

First of all, it is necessary to clarify Rousseau.s ideas on religion.

In Chapter Eight of On the Social Contract, Rousseau distinguishes four types

of religion. The first of these is the .religion of man.. According to

Rousseau, this type of religion is .without temples, alters or rites.. It is

.limited to the purely internal cult of the supreme God and to the eternal

duties of morality–is the pure and simple religion of the Gospel, the true

theism, and what can be called natural divine law. (SC, Bk IV, Ch. 8) In

addition, he describes the .religion of man. as Christianity. However, it is

different than the Christianity of today in that it is focused on the Gospels

and .through this holy, sublime, true religion, men, in being the children of

the same God, all acknowledge one another as brothers, and the society that

united them is not dissolved even in death. (SC, Bk IV, Ch. 8). Rousseau

finds fault in this type of religion. True Christianity of this sort would

require every citizen to be an equally good Christian for peace and harmony to

be maintained. In addition, Rousseau argues that it would be unlikely for

every man to be concerned only with heavenly things. He anticipated that .a

single ambitious man, a single hypocrite, a Cataline, for example, or a

Cromwell, he would quite undoubtedly gain an upper hand on his pious

compatriots. (SC, Bk IV. Ch. 8).

Rousseau defines the second type of religion as the .religion of the

citizen.. He states, The other, inscribed in a single country, gives it its

gods, its own titulary patrons.

It has its dogmas, its rites its exterior cult prescribed by its

laws. Outside the nation that practices it, everything is

infidel, alien and barbarous to it. It extends the duties and

rights of man only as far as its alters(SC, Bk IV, Ch 8).

Rousseau believes this type of religion is good because it unites .the divine

cult. with love of the laws. On the other hand, this type of religion has the

potential to make men superstitious and intolerant. When the boundary between

Church and state is clouded, men may begin to .believe they are performing a

bold action in killing anyone who does not accept its gods. (SC, Bk IV, Ch 8).

Rousseau points out a third type of religion which in his own words is

.more bizarre.. He calls this .religion of the priest. and states .in giving

men two sets of legislation, two leaders, and two homelands, it subjects them

to contradictory duties and prevents them from being simultaneously devout men

and citizens.. An example of this type of religion is Roman Catholicism.

Roman Catholics are subject to the law of the Church as well as the law of the

state. They are subject to the authority of the pope as well as the authority

of the leader of the state. Also, they are commanded subject to the rule of

the Vatican as well as the rule of their homeland. For Rousseau, .religion of

the priest. is .so bad that it is a waste of time to amuse oneself by proving

it. Whatever breaks up social unity is worthless. All institutions that

place man in contradiction to himself are of no value. (SC, Bk IV, Ch 8).

Because Rousseau finds serious faults with the first three types, he

calls for people to adhere to a fourth kind of religion. He defines this as

.civil religion.. He asserts that it is the Sovereign.s duty to require a

.purely civil profession of faith. and to establish the dogmas of a civil

religion. Rousseau elaborates on this by stating,

The dogmas of the civil religion ought to be simple, few in

number, precisely worded, without explanations or commentaries.

The existence of a powerful, intelligent, beneficent divinity that

foresees and provides; the life to come; the happiness of the

just; the punishment of the wicked; the sanctity of the social

contract and of the laws. These are the positive dogmas. As for

the negative dogmas, I am limiting them to just one, namely

intolerance (SC, Bk IV, Ch 8).

Furthermore, the Sovereign can banish any man who does not believe these

tenets. However, one is not banished for being impious, but rather, for being

unsociable.

Keeping this in mind, one can address the reasons why Rousseau feels a

civil religion is necessary. F

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