Michel Foucault
Ars erotica is a Latin term for the “art of love,” referring to the disciplined, skillful techniques and practices of lovemaking that cultivate pleasure, sensitivity, and self-mastery, in contrast to scientia sexualis (the “science of sexuality”) that seeks truth and knowledge about sex. The concept, famously explored by philosopher Michel Foucault, emphasizes pleasure as the central element, drawing from premodern traditions in various cultures that integrated sexual practices with aesthetics and self-cultivation.
Key Aspects of Ars Erotica
Focus on Pleasure:
At its core, ars erotica prioritizes the experience and cultivation of pleasure as the primary goal of sexual practices.
Artful Practice:
It views lovemaking as an art form, requiring specific skills, techniques, and a cultivated sensitivity to enhance the erotic experience.
Self-Cultivation:
Ars erotica practices are linked to self-mastery, grace, and the development of a more refined and enriched quality of life.
Cultural Traditions:
The concept finds roots in various cultural traditions, including those of ancient Greece, India, China, Japan, and the Islamic world, where erotic theories often focused on aesthetic principles and spiritual development.
Contrast with Scientia Sexualis
Michel Foucault contrasted ars erotica with scientia sexualis, or the “science of sexuality”.
Ars Erotica: An “art of erotics” focused on the subjective experience and mastery of pleasure.
Scientia Sexualis: A “science of sexuality” that emphasizes truth, knowledge, and the objective analysis of sexual practices and behaviors.
Cultural Significance
Foucault and others argue that ars erotica traditions, which emphasized hidden knowledge and skillful practice, were eventually displaced or transformed by the rise of scientia sexualis in the Western world, particularly with the development of sexology and confession in Christian traditions.
The study of ars erotica provides insights into how different societies have shaped and understood human sexuality, highlighting the divergence of forms and meanings of sexual drives across cultures.
Foucault on Genealogy and identity - YouTube
Foucault’s Perspective on Genealogy and Historical Contingency
Foucault challenges the notion of an essential human nature, proposing instead that humans are defined by historical contingency and relations of power and inequities. He questions both the notion of ahistorical human nature and the idea of progress. He asserts that our understanding and identities are shaped by a complex past, marked by unexpected connections and heterogeneous origins.
Foucault’s method of genealogy, inspired by Nietzsche, aims to meticulously trace the roots of present-day thinking by examining the messy origins of concepts and institutions, emphasizing that they evolve in a non-linear and unpredictable manner. This involves a detailed study of history, focusing on the origins and developments of concepts and ways of being, emphasizing the accidental and the mundane over the grand narratives. This approach reveals the absence of essence in what is often perceived as having one, showcasing the heterogeneous nature of existing institutions and beliefs.
Foucault argues that concepts, values, and institutions don't have a single, unchanging essence. Instead, they emerge in complex and unplanned ways, characterized by heterogeneity and a lack of consistent essence.
Foucault on the Illusion of Progress and the Critique of Fixed Identities
Foucault’s concept of effective history recognizes that everything, including feelings and bodies, has a historical aspect. He challenges the notion of a fixed identity, suggesting that identities are fluid and subject to change and transformation.
Foucault expresses skepticism towards the concept of progress and the fixation on fixed identities, which he sees as a limitation to understanding human history and development. He argues that the quest for a singular origin or essence of concepts like capitalism is misguided. Instead, he focuses on the diverse and accidental beginnings of such ideas, highlighting the importance of examining the lowly conditions and everyday lives of people rather than just the narratives of ruling powers. Foucault’s genealogical method dismantles the idea of a master narrative, advocating for a recognition of the complex, discontinuous nature of historical development.
Foucault’s Critique of the Gay Liberation Movement
In his critique of the gay liberation movement, Foucault challenges the notion of immutable sexual identities, advocating instead for a view of identity as fluid and subject to change and transformation. He argues that by framing homosexuality as a fixed identity, the movement inadvertently embraced a normalization that contradicts the potential for unforeseen transformations in sexual identity. Foucault emphasizes the dangers of this approach, including increased surveillance and censure, and urges a reevaluation of identity that allows for transformative possibilities, moving beyond the constraints of perceived fixed essences and the capitalist inclination to define activities and desires based on a static sense of self.
Quotes
- “I don’t feel that it is necessary to know exactly what I am. The main interest in life and work is to become someone else that you were not in the beginning.” ― Michel Foucault