Description
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.
About the Author
Fara Dabhoiwala was born in England, grew up in Amsterdam, and was educated at York and Oxford. His last book, The Origins of Sex: A History of the First Sexual Revolution was an Economist and Sunday Times book of the year and has been translated into several languages. After many years teaching at Oxford, he is now a Senior Research Scholar in history at Princeton University.
