Abstract
Rousseau and Tocqueville fundamentally agree that the civil function of religion is to strengthen the bond that exists between the people and the law. However, the two men differ in their views on how this bond should be strengthened. Rousseau argues in favor of a new, civil religion being imposed by the sovereign, while Tocqueville argues that the people must accept a set of ready-made beliefs, but keep the church and state separated. Although their respective theories on how religion should be used differ, they both assert that religion must serve to check the morals of the citizens and augment their love of the laws. Religion does this by offering the people a set of pre-founded beliefs that are in accord with social morality, justice and growth. For both political thinkers, the civil purpose of religion is to instill in the majority a common opinion which is conducive to the health and progress of the state.
