The History of Sexuality, Vol. 3 by Michel Foucault

The History of Sexuality, Vol. 3

by Michel Foucault

Michel Foucault takes us into the first two centuries of our own era, into the Golden Age of Rome, to reveal a subtle but decisive break from the classical Greek vision of sexual pleasure. He skillfully explores the whole corpus of moral reflection among philosophers (Plutarch, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca) and physicians of the era, and uncovers an increasing mistrust of pleasure and growing anxiety over sexual activity and its consequences.

Reviewed by jamiereadthis on

3 of 5 stars

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Like volume two, repetitive, debatable, and digested with a grain of salt. This passage from Seneca though:

Disce gaudere, learn how to feel joy,” says Seneca to Lucilius: “I do not wish you ever to be deprived of gladness. I would have it born in your house; and it is born there, if only it is inside of you… for it will never fail you when once you have found its source.”

Or this Pseudo-Lucian pledge:

“To unite my bones with his and not to keep even our dumb ashes apart.”

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  • Started reading
  • 6 March, 2020: Finished reading
  • 6 March, 2020: Reviewed