Details

Subject(s)

• Sex customs—History [Browse]
• Sexual ethics—History [Browse]
• Sex (Biology) [Browse]

Related name

• Hurley, Robert [Browse]

Summary note

Michel Foucault's 'The History of Sexuality' pioneered queer theory. In it he builds an argument grounded in a historical analysis of the word "sexuality" against the common thesis that sexuality always has been repressed in Western society. Quite the contrary: since the 17th century, there has been a fixation with sexuality creating a discourse around sexuality. It is this discourse that has created sexual minorities. In 'The History of Sexuality', Foucault attempts to disprove the thesis that Western society has seen a repression of sexuality since the 17th century and that sexuality has been unmentionable, something impossible to speak about. In the 70s, when the book was written, the sexual revolution was a fact. The ideas of the psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich, saying that to conserve your mental health you needed to liberate your sexual energy, were popular. The past was seen as a dark age where sexuality had been something forbidden.

Notes

Translation of: Histoire de la sexualité.

Bibliographic references

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

• v. 1. An introduction
• v. 2. The use of pleasure
• v. 3. The care of the self.

Source acquisition

English Graduate Study Room copy, Gift of Charles Ruas, Class of 1960, Ph.D. 1970.

Other title(s)

• History of sexuality, an introduction
• Use of pleasure
• Care of the self
• History of sexuality : an introduction.
• Use of pleasure.
• Care of the self.

ISBN

• 0679724699 ((v. 1))
• 9780679724698 ((v. 1))
• 0394751221 ((v. 2))
• 9780394751221 ((v. 2))
• 0394741552 ((v. 3))
• 9780394741550 ((v. 3))
• 0394740262
• 9780394740263

LCCN

79007460

OCLC

5102034

Statement on language in description

Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...