Rousseau's God

A landmark study of Rousseaus theological and religious thought. John T. Scott offers a comprehensive interpretation of Rousseaus theological and religious thought, both in its own right and in relation to Rousseaus broader oeuvre. In chapters focused on different key writings, Scott reveals recurrent themes in Rousseaus views on the subject and traces their evolution over time. He shows that two conceptstruth and utilityare integral to Rousseaus writings on religion. Doing so helps to explain some of Rousseaus disagreements with his contemporaries: their different views on religion and theology stem from different understandings of human nature and the proper role of science in human life. Rousseau emphasizes not just what is true, but also what is usefulpsychologically, morally, and politicallyfor human beings. Comprehensive and nuanced, Rousseaus God is vital to understanding key categories of Rousseaus thought.