History of Sexuality

At what time, in what context, and under which conditions have human being come to identify as 'heterosexuals,' 'homosexuals,' etc.? This course will explore the different ways sex has been regulated in the Western tradition, from ancient Greece until the present. We will focus on the historical emergence of some key concepts of sexuality, in particular 'the sexual instinct' and 'sexual identity.' We will read authors from a variety of periods and fields, such as religion (Thomas Aquinas), medicine (Tissot0