Description
Book SynopsisMichel Foucaultâs The History of Sexuality is one of the most influential philosophical works of the twentieth century and has been instrumental in shaping the study of Gender, Feminist Theory and Queer Theory. But Foucaultâs writing can be a difficult book to grasp as Foucault assumes a familiarity with the intellectually dominant theories of his time which renders many passages obscure for newcomers to his work.
The Routledge Guidebook to Foucaultâs The History of Sexuality offers a clear and comprehensive guide to this groundbreaking work, examining:
- The historical context in which Foucault wrote
- A critical discussion of the text, which examines the relationship between The History of Sexuality, The Use of Pleasure and The Care of The Self
- The reception and ongoing influence of The History of Sexuality
Offering a close reading of the text, this is essential reading for anyone studying this enormously influential work.
Trade ReviewTaylor’s well-written guide to Foucault’s History of Sexuality promises to become a welcome companion for students delving into Foucault’s influential text, as it provides historical context and clarifies points of reference that may require some explanation and background for the new reader of Foucault.
Claudia Schippert, University of Central Florida, USA
In this invaluable guide to Foucault’s History of Sexuality Volume 1, Taylor offers a lucid explication of one of the most consistently misread books of our time. Without sacrificing nuance or depth, Taylor frames Foucault’s History of Sexuality within the history of eugenics. This text will be especially illuminating for students who have looked to Foucault for a theory of sexual liberation. The chapters on Foucault’s uptake by feminists and queer theorists are a tour de force! Highly recommended for beginners and experts alike.
Lynne Huffer, Emory University, USA
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Chapter One: The Will to Know
Questioning the Repressive Hypothesis
Confession
The Social Construction of Sexualities
The Perverse Implantation
Chapter Two: Power Over Life
Objective: Regicide
Method: or How to Theorize Power without the King
Power is everywhere
Power is war
Power is relational
Power is immanent
Power comes from below
Power relations are intentional and non-subjective
Power produces resistance
Chapter Three: Women, Children, Couples and ‘Perverts’
Denaturalizing Sex
Domain: The Family
Women
Children
Couples
‘Perverts’
Periodization: Retelling the History of Sexuality
Chapter Four: Sex, Racism, and Death
From Sanguinity to Sexuality
Foucault’s Genealogy of Modern Racism
From Spectacles of Death to the Management of Morbidity
Executions
Suicide
War
Letting Die
De-sexing sexuality
Chapter Five: The History of Sexuality and Feminist Theory
Feminist Tensions
The Repressive Hypothesis, Identity Politics, and the Feminist Sex Wars
Consciousness Raising, Confession, and Experience
Feminist Bodies and Pleasures
Chapter Six: The History of Sexuality and Queer Theory
From Feminism to Queer Theory
‘A Queer Voice’
Canonizing Foucault
‘The Imperial Prude’
Chapter Seven: A Genealogy of the Desiring Subject
Revising the Project
Sexual Austerity and the Monogamous Ideal
Using Sex
Sexual Anxiety
‘The antimony of the boy’
A Male Ethics
Ethics versus Codes
Scale
Positions and Partners
Sexual Binaries
Sex and Health
Sex without Psychology
The Use of The Use of Pleasure
Bibliography
