A freshly translated critical edition of the infamous eighteenth-century sadist’s sprawling work of eroticism that endures today as a serious philosophical argument.

The infamous libertine Marquis de Sade (1740–1814), from whose name we derive the word sadism, wove into his pornographic writings many strands of philosophical brilliance whose insights, interspersed between appalling descriptions of sexual deviance, have perplexed readers for centuries. First published in 1795, Philosophy in the Boudoir remains one of the most influential of these works, containing a powerful essay that distills Sade’s most illicit ideas into a compelling argument for personal freedom. In it, Sade experiments with forms drawn from sentimental fiction, pornography, philosophical dialogue, and drama to both satirize his contemporaries and champion the virtues of the heroic libertine—an important intellectual precursor to ideas further developed by Nietzsche, Freud, and others. 

This new critical edition is freshly translated into contemporary English and includes a scholarly introduction and extensive notes that illuminate Sade’s myriad allusions and cultural connections, particularly to the larger world of Enlightenment Europe. 

Marquis de Sade (1740–1814) was a French writer and libertine whose erotic novels, including The 120 Days of Sodom and Justine, combine graphic descriptions of violent sexuality with philosophical discourses on religion, politics, and society. Sarah Nelson is associate professor of French at Idaho University. Sean M. Quinlan is dean of the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences at Idaho University. His books include Morbid Undercurrents: Medical Subcultures in Postrevolutionary France.

Introduction: Boudoir Philosophies
Further Reading
Translator’s Note

Philosophy in the Boudoir
To Libertines
First Dialogue
Second Dialogue
Third Dialogue
Fourth Dialogue
Fifth Dialogue
Sixth Dialogue
Seventh & Final Dialogue

Notes
Index