The Origins of Sex

The Origins of Sex

A History of the First Sexual Revolution

Summary

For most of western history, all sex outside marriage was illegal, with the church and state punishing any dissent. Between 1600 and 1800, this entire world-view was shattered by revolutionary new ideas - that consenting adults have the freedom to do what they like with their own bodies, and morality cannot be imposed by force. This groundbreaking book shows that the creation of this modern culture of sex - broadcasted and debated in a rapidly expanding universe of public media - was a central part of the Enlightenment, and helped create a new model of western civilization whose principles of equality, privacy and individual freedom last to this day.

Reviews

  • Path-breaking ... touching ... This is a marvellously rich and thought-provoking book, written with clarity and humanity, and drawing on a huge range of materials, from sermons to pornography to social statistics
    Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph

About the author

Faramerz Dabhoiwala

Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more