Rousseau On Civil Religion Essays - Religion And Politics

Rousseau On Civil Religion 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