Deism Self-Refuted

Nicolas-Sylvestre Bergier (1718-1790) was a French Catholic theologian active during the Enlightenment. Born in Darney, Lorraine, and later passing away in Paris, he became one of the most esteemed Catholic apologists of his time-recognized even by Jean-Jacques Rousseau as a formidable philosophical opponent.

Bergier studied theology at the University of Besançon, where he earned his doctorate before being ordained a priest. He later completed further studies in Paris, after which he was appointed to a parish and served as president of the city college, formerly administered by the Jesuits. In 1769, he was nominated by the Archbishop of Paris to join the cathedral chapter as a canon. Following this appointment, he relocated permanently to Paris, dedicating much of his career to apologetics and engaging with leading Enlightenment thinkers such as Rousseau, Voltaire, and Diderot.

Among his most notable works is Deism Self-Refuted, a collection of letters critiquing the theological and philosophical errors in Rousseau's Émile: On Education and the Nature of Man.

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