Beneath the surface of Rousseau’s ploy lurks a vital lesson:

“The object that brings the group into relation” both defines and is defined by a symbolic order, that is, an apparently closed set of symbols (that excludes other symbolic orders).

Alberg convincingly demonstrated that Rousseau’s symbolic order derived its authority from the exclusion of the Christian symbolic order.  Without the Christian symbolic order, Rousseau’s symbolic order would rattle apart.

Even if the secular experts disagree on what the object should be, they all agree on this: “The ‘Son of Man’ should not show his face in any bureaucratic office and disturb their expert delineations of the multitudinous objects that bring us all into … relation?  … no … ‘organization’ is a better word”.

As long as that possibility remains, Rousseau’s admirers will not have to ask for forgiveness, despite the consequences.  Oh, I meant to say, the corpses.