History of Sexuality: 4
The final major work by one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century
In the fourth and final volume of his far-reaching and influential study of human sexuality, Foucault turns his attention to early Christianity, exploring how ancient ideas of pleasure were modified into the notion of the 'flesh'. Ranging over marriage, procreation and the concept of virginity as a divine state, Foucault brilliantly shows how a fledgling religion altered and defined the Western history of desire. Confessions of the Flesh brings to a conclusion one of the twentieth century's seminal works.
'A thinker of immense power ... posing questions that still perplex us' The Times Literary Supplement
'Required reading ... The appearance of the fourth volume is the most significant event in the world of Foucault scholarship in 20 years ... Essential' Los Angeles Review of Books
Michel Foucalt (1926-1984) was one of the leading intellectuals of the twentieth century and the most prominent thinker in postwar France. Foucault's work influenced disciplines as diverse as history, sociology, philosophy, sociology and literary criticism.
Robert Hurley (Translator)
Robert Hurley is a leading French translator, specializing in the work of French philosophers and critical theorists. His English translations of Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze and Georges Bataille are considered definitive.