Émile by Rousseau-lacerated and burned
"reckless, scandalous, impious, and an attempt to destroy Christian religion and all governments"
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Genevan philosopher, wrote Émile (On Education), a treatise on the nature of education and the nature of man (1762).
Rousseau believed that life in modern societies undermines virtue, but that for individuals to thrive, and for free societies to endure, all would require moral education.1
The Paris Parliament condemned Emile to be destroyed on June 9, 1762; on June 19, the Petit-Conseil of Geneva ordered both Emile and the Social Contract to be lacerated and burned by the executioners of High Justice outside the doors of the Hôtel de Ville, as “reckless, scandalous, impious, and an attempt to destroy Christian religion and all governments.” Emile was banned in Bern on July 10, 1762 and in Rome on September 9, 1762. 2
Reisert, Joseph R. 2003. Jean-Jacques Rousseau : A Friend of Virtue. Cornell University Press.
Hoffmann, S., & McDonald, C. (2010). Rousseau and Freedom. Cambridge University Press.