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Profession of Faith of a Savoyard Vicar

Jean-Jacques Rousseau · 1762

A deist section of Rousseau's 1762 work Émile, presenting natural religion through the voice of a fictional vicar.

This deist section of Rousseau's own Émile provoked the condemnations that drove him into exile.

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About this source

What it is

This essay is a section of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's 1762 educational work Émile, written in the voice of a fictional Savoyard vicar who describes his personal religious beliefs, rejecting formal argument in favour of simple conscience and natural truth.

Why it matters

The text argued for a natural, non-dogmatic religion based on feeling and reason rather than church authority. This deist position provoked outrage from religious and civil authorities and led directly to Rousseau's condemnation and exile from both France and Geneva. It shows how his ideas about religion, education, and nature were deeply intertwined and dangerous to the establishments of his time.

Look closer

  • Why might Rousseau choose to present these religious ideas through a fictional vicar rather than in his own voice?
  • What does the vicar's humble background add to his claims about truth?
  • Why would a government or church see this kind of writing as threatening?

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