Rousseau: Religion Paves the Way

"We should not, with Warburton, conclude from this that politics and religion have among us a common object, but that, in the first periods of nations, the one is used as an instrument for the other." (Book 2:7)

Jean Jacques Rousseau. The Social Contract. Trans. G.D.H. Cole 1782. Rendered into HTML and texts by Jon Roland of the Constitution society. http://www.constitution.org/jjr/socon.htm

Republicanism requires of its citizens that they sacrifice their natural freedom and their amour-de-soi, their natural selfishness. This selfishness is not construed as something wicked. It is a quality of man that enables him to live as a noble savage, an aristocrat among animals. However tolerable this state of being, if man is to transcend the animal kingdom, another form of grace is necessary, and more suitable. In a republic the natural selfishness of man needs to be conquered by a free and constant selflessness; in the political sphere not the particular, but the common good must prevail. Evidently this transformation is not one that happens over night. 

It is a common reproach that if Rousseau's republic were to succeed, it would need Republicans to kick it off, which is of course an impossibility. If the law makes the people, then who makes the law? For Rousseau this was one paradox that he could not allow to remain unsolved. His solution was that the initial laws of the Republic should be proposed by an extremely wise and benevolent legislator. The public just has to accept them -though of course they are free to refuse. The proposed rules serve as a starting point which the common will is free to adapt as soon as it has established itself. 

Sometimes in the course of history a proposed set of rules has been so convincing that it was adopted instantly. Rousseau refers especially to Ancient Greece where it was common for foreign legislators to propose laws that would be objective and fair to all. However, most fledgling republicans are not so eager and need to be convinced. This is where religion comes in. In order to convince people of the truth and fairness of a law it is completely justified to breed a religious atmosphere beneficial to its survival. Judaic law has only been this successful because it was preached by the arch-legislator himself, Jesus Christ. According to Rousseau prophets are legislators and religion is an instrument that helps to lay the foundations of a Republic. Rousseau's heretical interpretation of religion demonstrates his knowledge about the nature of man. Some people are deaf to reason, but they are not impossible to communicate with. They only need to be spoken to in their own language which is compiled of prophesy, superstition and fiction.  

Sci-Fi Epic Dune posits a universe in which Religion is equally used as a political strategy, to pave the way for future civilisation. Also, it features giant worms.