Foucault. “The Repressive Hypothesis”

from The History of Sexuality: An Introduction vol. 1 New York: Vintage Books, 1990

17.
17th century ushered in a repressive approach to sexuality
Speaking of sex or engaging in “illegitimate sexualities” became much more costly
18.
New “institutional incitement” to speak about sex and document it
19.
This derives from Catholic confession- there becomes a more encompassing need for self-examination and to “confess” the sins of the flesh
21.
“An imperative was established: Not only will you confess to acts contravening the law, but you will seek to transform your desire, your every desire, into discourse.”
23.
Act of confession deliberately transforms desire into discourse, but also seeks to convert this desire from sin to virtue (through resistance).
Beginning of 18th century, a political, economic, technical need to discuss sex
24.
Sex was then considered not only in an ethical light, but also a scientific/rational one
Sexuality not only judged, but also carefully managed
25.
Idea of “population” emerged in the 18th century- statistical perspective of society, these numbers taken as indexes of wealth, power
26.
Population studies leads to state manipulation of reproduction in racialized, gendered ways
28.
During 18th century, even where sexuality was not formally addressed, norms were produced though micropolitics of regulation in institutional contexts
29.
There has been a multiplication of avenues for discourse in the modern era