The Profession of Faith of a Savoyard Vicar

"The Profession of Faith of a Savoyard Vicar" is a philosophical essay by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, presented as a chapter within his larger work, Emile; or, On Education. It outlines Rousseau's personal religious and moral views, which diverged from both traditional church doctrines and the rationalism of his Enlightenment contemporaries.12

Rousseau posits a belief in God and the immortality of the soul, emphasizing the importance of conscience as a divine inner voice. He finds God's presence most strongly in nature and advocates for a personal, simplified form of Christianity devoid of strict dogma or revelation. This natural religion, he believed, was accessible to all and formed the basis for innate human goodness, which society and civilization tend to corrupt.123