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Assignment 7: Foucault

In Part one of the passage of History of Sexuality, Michel Foucault  talks about how the history of sexuality changed throughout the course of time. Foucault starts off part one by stating that society favors the Victorian regime and has been supporting it even up to today. He goes into chronological order in how sexuality was seen. In the beginning of the seventeenth century sex was not a taboo topic but seen more of a regular activity that wasn’t looked down upon. This wouldn’t be able to last that long because the subject of sex was considered to be a thing to be talked about in secret all thanks to the Victorian bourgeoisie. The talk of sex was now repressed, children could not hear of such things due to the fact that children had no sex. Foucault then talks about the only places where sexuality  was allowed was in the brothel and the mental hospital. The people in those places were considered those “other Victorians”. Now Foucault goes into more detail on sexual repression, Foucault states how sex was seen in a political stand point as well. Now talking about sex would be seen as an action of going against the law. Foucault then states how speaking about sex in terms of repression gives the people to go against the power. Sex as in today is an ancient form of preaching. Foucault then mentions the hypocrisy that has taken place for more than a century and asks the question about, why do we say that we are repressed? He also then asks the question of what led us to this point of being repressed. Since the beginning of time sex was always considered a sin. People today still hold that repression which shows that it is still an issue.                                               Question 1: What are some examples that led to Foucault believing that sex is repressed? Question 2: If sex was to never be repressed by the Victorians, would you think sex would have ever reached to such a taboo topic?