Not to change the subject, but I would like to reflect on the title for just
a moment. The English translation is very misleading. _The_ history of
sexuality seems to imply that Foucault will be giving the definitive account
of sexuality. But I think that misses the ambiguity of the French
'histoire,' and the lack of an article in the French title.
It seems that the book serves more as a limit experience that as a list of
dates and events that track the 'progress' of sexuality. The importance of
the book, if I may be so bold, is that a limit is experienced in the reading
of it - the topic, sexuality, cannot be thought of in the same way as before
the experience.
This is rather off the cuff and Foucault talks more of what a limit
experience is in Remarks on Marx. Have I missed the mark, or have others
thought along similar lines?
Joanna
a moment. The English translation is very misleading. _The_ history of
sexuality seems to imply that Foucault will be giving the definitive account
of sexuality. But I think that misses the ambiguity of the French
'histoire,' and the lack of an article in the French title.
It seems that the book serves more as a limit experience that as a list of
dates and events that track the 'progress' of sexuality. The importance of
the book, if I may be so bold, is that a limit is experienced in the reading
of it - the topic, sexuality, cannot be thought of in the same way as before
the experience.
This is rather off the cuff and Foucault talks more of what a limit
experience is in Remarks on Marx. Have I missed the mark, or have others
thought along similar lines?
Joanna