The history of sexuality / by Michel Foucault ; translated from the French by Robert Hurley.

Author
Foucault, Michel, 1926-1984 [Browse]
Uniform title
Format
Book
Language
English
Εdition
Vintage books ed.
Published/​Created
New York : Vintage Books, <1988-1990>
Description
volumes <2-3> ; 19 cm-21 cm

Details

Subject(s)
Related name
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
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