Philosophy in the Bedroom
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''Philosophy in the Bedroom'' (french: La philosophie dans le boudoir, link=no) is a 1795 book by the Marquis de Sade written in the form of a dramatic dialogue. Though initially considered a work of pornography, the book has come to be considered a socio-political drama. Set in a bedroom, the two lead characters make the argument that the only moral system that reinforces the recent political
revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
is
libertinism A libertine is a person devoid of most moral principles, a sense of responsibility, or sexual restraints, which they see as unnecessary or undesirable, and is especially someone who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behaviour o ...
, and that if the people of France fail to adopt the libertine philosophy, France will be destined to return to a monarchic state. In the chapter titled "Fifth Dialogue", there is a lengthy section where the character Chevalier reads a philosophical pamphlet titled "Frenchmen, Some More Effort If You Wish To Become Republicans". The pamphlet clearly represents Sade's philosophy on
religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
and
morality Morality () is the differentiation of intentions, decisions and actions between those that are distinguished as proper (right) and those that are improper (wrong). Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of co ...
, a philosophy he passionately hopes the citizens of France will embrace and codify into the laws of their new republican government. Continually throughout the work, Sade makes the argument that one must embrace atheism, reject society's beliefs about pleasure and pain, and further makes his argument that if any crime is committed while seeking pleasure, it cannot be condemned."Philosophy in the Bedroom" by Marquis de Sade, translated by Richard Seaver and Austryn Wainhouse, 2002.


Characters

*Eugénie, a 15-year-old girl who at the beginning of the dialogue is a
virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
, naïve of all things sexual, who has been brought up by her mother to be well-mannered, modest, decent and obedient. *Madame de Saint-Ange, a 26-year-old libertine woman who is the owner of the house and bedroom in which the dialogue is set. She invites Eugénie for a two-day course on being libertine. *Le Chevalier de Mirval, Madame de Saint-Ange's 20-year-old brother. He aids his sister and Dolmancé in the ordeal of "educating" Eugénie. *Dolmancé, a 36-year-old atheist and bisexual (though with a strong preference for men), and friend of Le Chevalier's. He is Eugénie's foremost teacher and "educator". *Madame de Mistival, Eugénie's provincial, self-righteous mother. *Augustin, Madame de Saint-Ange's eighteen or twenty year-old gardener. Summoned to assist in the sexual activities in the fifth dialogue.


Plot

In the introduction, the Marquis de Sade exhorts his readers to indulge in the various activities in the play. He says that the work is dedicated to "voluptuaries of all ages, of every sex" and urges readers to emulate the characters. "Lewd women", he writes, "let the voluptuous Saint-Ange be your model; after her example, be heedless of all that contradicts pleasure's divine laws, by which all her life she was enchained." He then urges "young maidens" to copy Eugénie; "be as quick as she to destroy, to spurn all those ridiculous precepts inculcated in you by imbecile parents". Finally, he urges male readers to "study the cynical Dolmancé" and follow his example of selfishness and consideration for nothing but his own enjoyment. Dolmancé is the most dominant of the characters in the dialogue. He explains to Eugénie that
morality Morality () is the differentiation of intentions, decisions and actions between those that are distinguished as proper (right) and those that are improper (wrong). Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of co ...
, compassion,
religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
, and modesty are all absurd notions that stand in the way of the sole aim of human existence: pleasure. Like most of Sade's work, ''Philosophy in the Bedroom'' features a great deal of
sex Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones ( ova, of ...
as well as libertine philosophies. Although there is some torture, the dialogue contains no actual murder, unlike many of Sade's works. Dolmancé and Madame de Saint-Ange start off by giving Eugénie their own brand of
sex education Sex education, also known as sexual education, sexuality education or sex ed, is the instruction of issues relating to human sexuality, including emotional relations and responsibilities, human sexual anatomy, sexual activity, sexual reproduc ...
, explaining the biological facts and declaring that physical pleasure is a far more important motive for sex than that of reproduction. Both characters explain that she will not be able to feel "true pleasure" without pain. Then they eagerly get down to the practical lessons, with Le Chevalier joining them in the fourth act and swiftly helping to take away Eugénie's
virginity Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
. Eugénie is instructed on the pleasures of various sexual practices and she proves to be a fast learner. As is usually the case in Sade's work, the characters are all bisexual, and
sodomy Sodomy () or buggery (British English) is generally anal or oral sex between people, or sexual activity between a person and a non-human animal ( bestiality), but it may also mean any non- procreative sexual activity. Originally, the term ''sod ...
is the preferred activity of all concerned, especially Dolmancé, who prefers male sexual partners and will not have anything other than anal intercourse with females. Madame de Saint-Ange and her younger brother, the ''Chevalier'', also have sex with one another, and boast of doing so on a regular basis. Their
incest Incest ( ) is human sexual activity between family members or close relatives. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by affinity (marriage or stepfamily), adopti ...
— and all manner of other sexual activity and taboos, such as sodomy,
adultery Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...
and
homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to pe ...
— is justified by Dolmancé in a series of energetic arguments that ultimately boil down to "if it feels good, do it". The Marquis de Sade believed that was his ultimate argument: if a crime (even murder) took place during one's desire for pleasure, it could not be punished by law. (Sodomy was illegal and punishable by death in France at the time the dialogue was written, and Sade himself was convicted of sodomy in 1772.) The corruption of Eugénie is actually at the request of her father, who has sent her to Madame de Saint-Ange for the very purpose of having his daughter stripped of the morality that her virtuous mother taught her. The dialogue is split into seven parts, or "dialogues", and was originally illustrated by Sade himself. There is a lengthy section within the fifth dialogue titled "''Yet Another Effort, Frenchmen, If You Would Become Republicans''", in which the Marquis de Sade argued that having done away with the
monarchy A monarchy is a government#Forms, form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The legitimacy (political)#monarchy, political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restric ...
in the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
, the people of France should take the final step towards liberty by abolishing religion too. "Frenchmen, I repeat it to you: Europe awaits her deliverance from ''specter'' and ''censer'' alike. Know well that you cannot possibly liberate her from royal tyranny without at the same time breaking for her the fetters of religious superstition; the shackles of the one are too intimately linked to those of the other; let one of the two survive, and you cannot avoid falling subject to the other you have left intact. It is no longer before the knees of either an imaginary being or a vile impostor a republican must prostrate himself; his only gods must now be ''courage'' and ''liberty''. Rome disappeared immediately Christianity was preached there, and France is doomed if she continues to revere it". In the final act, Eugénie's mother, Madame de Mistival, arrives to rescue her daughter from the "monsters" who have corrupted her. Eugénie's father, however, warns his daughter and friends in advance and urges them to punish his wife, whose person and virtue he clearly loathes. Madame de Mistival is horrified to find that not only her husband arranged for their daughter's corruption but also Eugénie has already lost any moral standards that she previously possessed, along with any respect or obedience towards her mother. Eugénie refuses to leave, and Madame de Mistival is soon stripped, beaten, whipped and raped, her daughter taking an active part in this brutality and even declaring her wish to kill her mother. Dolmancé eventually calls in for a servant who has syphilis to rape Eugénie's mother. Eugénie sews up her vagina and Dolmancé her anus to keep the polluted seed inside, and she is then sent home in tears since she knows that her daughter has been lost to the corrupt libertine mentality of Dolmancé and his accomplices.


Legacy

Spanish director
Jesús Franco Jesús Franco Manera (12 May 1930 – 2 April 2013) was a Spanish filmmaker, composer, and actor, known as a prolific director of low-budget exploitation and B-movies. In a career spanning from 1959 to 2013, he wrote, directed, produced, act ...
has made two films based on ''Philosophy in the Bedroom'': '' Eugenie… The Story of Her Journey into Perversion'' (1970) and ''Eugenie (Historia de una perversión)'' (1980). Italian director
Aurelio Grimaldi Aurelio Grimaldi (born 22 November 1957) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. His film '' The Whores'' was entered into the 1994 Cannes Film Festival. Selected filmography * '' Ragazzi fuori'' (1990) * '' The Rebel'' (1993) * '' The ...
also filmed it, as ''L'educazione sentimentale di Eugenie'' (2005). In 2003, a play based on ''Philosophy in the Bedroom'' titled "XXX" was staged in a number of European cities. It featured live simulated sex and audience interaction that caused some controversy.


Footnotes


References

*''Justine, Philosophy in the Bedroom and Other Writings'' (1965) Arrow Books () *''Marquis de Sade for Beginners'' (1995) Stuart Hood and Graham Crowley, Icon Books, () * ''The Sadeian woman: and the ideology of pornography'' (1978)
Angela Carter Angela Olive Pearce (formerly Carter, Stalker; 7 May 1940 – 16 February 1992), who published under the name Angela Carter, was an English novelist, short story writer, poet, and journalist, known for her feminist, magical realism, and picar ...
, Pantheon Books () * ''Marquis de Sade: His Life and Works'' (2002)
Iwan Bloch Iwan Bloch (April 8, 1872 – November 21, 1922), also known as Ivan Bloch, was a German dermatologist, and psychiatrist, psychoanalyst born in Delmenhorst, Grand Ducal Oldenburg, Germany, and often called the first sexologist. Together with M ...
, The Minerva Group, Inc., () pp. 206–209


External links


Original French text at Wikisource
* ''La philosophie dans le boudoir'', ouvrage posthume de l'Auteur de ''Justine''
vol. 1vol. 2
a Londres, Aux dépens de la Compagnie, 1795. {{DEFAULTSORT:Philosophy in the Bedroom Philosophical literature Novels by the Marquis de Sade French LGBT novels Adultery in novels Incest in fiction Novels about rape BDSM literature Novels about ephebophilia Books critical of religion French novels adapted into films French novels adapted into plays Obscenity controversies in literature