About the author
French philosopher and historian (1926–1984), among the most influential thinkers in the humanities. The History of Sexuality, Volume 1 (1976) overturns the 'repressive hypothesis,' arguing that modern society did not silence sex but produced an endless discourse about it — and through that discourse, new forms of power over life and bodies, which Foucault calls 'biopower.' It is central to his account of how power produces, rather than merely represses, the modern subject.
Synopsis
A study of sexuality, discourse, power, and the modern production of identity.
Core passage idea
Paraphrase · Modern copyrighted workFoucault challenges the idea that modern power only represses sexuality.
This matters because it shows power producing categories, identities, and forms of self-understanding.
To avoid a bubble
Pair with liberal, conservative, or religious accounts of sexuality and personhood.
Reading note
Best for advanced users interested in modernity, identity, and power.
Best paired with
Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex.