Rousseau: political religion or political instrumentalization of religion?

Abstract

This article explores the problem of politics and religion in Jean-Jacques
Rousseau from a philosophical perspective. In order to achieve this goal,
this paper firstly shows how Rousseau conceives religion in his major
works, and it emphasizes in their ambiguous and controversial character. After that, this paper analyzes the concept of civil religion based on
the public role that it was called to play within the political community.
Finally, this paper deals with the issue of whether the arguments behind
Rousseau’s proposal are the design of a civil or political religion; or is it a
sort of political manipulation of religion, and in consequence, an element
that evidences a link between Rousseau and other modern authors. The
text does not purport to resolve the dilemma, but suggest that there are
reasons to support either of these two readings of the work of the author.