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Assignment #7 Alfie Corteza

Alfie Corteza

Professor Bullock

Assignment #7

In Michel Foucault’s “The History of Sexuality,” he explains that throughout time there has been constant discourse within the subject of sex. He gives examples ranging from the discussion of how intercourse had developed over time for instance before the 17th century. The differentiating of the label of “homosexuals” from being based on acts to one’s identity. In addition to to the discussion of homosexual actions, rather than stopping it all together, Foucault says that they would be talked about instead. In chapters one to three talks about how over the course of time the discussion of sex differentiates.

In chapter one, Foucault explains that sex merely is between husband and wife and that it is a highly privatized matter and intercourse with others is frowned upon and heavily repressed. Foucault also asks why we talk about how we can’t speak about sex.

In section two an example of sex-related ideas, dreams, and desires was confessed in churches and was a highly private and sensitive matter. But then at the turn of the 18th-century states were asking for the births of women, if it was successful or not. Even children themselves talked about sex in a civil, and mature manner while even some of the adults acted more childlike than the children themselves. Then there was an incident with a rural farm-worker caught paying for sexual favors. It is significant because authorities in the 17th century would have overlooked at the situation, whereas it investigations in the 18th century is much more in depth.

In section three, Foucault explains that sex was considered dangerous, but then describes that sex is a source of knowledge and truth. Also, he states that the understanding of sex in Western Europe is not new, as there are countries in the Middle-East, and Asia that have already studied it. But there is a differentiating between the two, als erotica focuses on the knowledge of sexual pleasure and how to increase and maximize it, and Scientia sexualis focuses on confessions from learning about it.

Questions:

#1: What caused the change in the discourse of sex from the 17th century to the 18th century?

#2: Why did Western Europe acknowledge sex intercourse earlier if it was present in other countries?