Sade, freedom or evil

Sade (1740-1814) is a controversial figure who has been seen as revolutionary and liberating by some, or pernicious and corrupting by others. His writings can be interpreted as a philosophy of freedom, emancipatory and subversive, or as a philosophy of evil, which shows the excessive and violent dimension of the human experience. The catalog presents different ways of reading Sade's legacy. From the impact his controversial writings have had on artists and intellectuals to how he became a cultural icon with an obvious presence in mass culture. The abundant cultural output that directly or indirectly refers to Sade is a symptom of the fascination, discomfort and ambivalence that his ideas provoked in the 20th century, of their subversive potential and the extent to which his writings still resonate today. day. The book invites us to review stereotypes, such as those associated with the term sadism, and to reflect on how Sade can cause shock and scandal, on the one hand, and be hailed as the personification of revolution, on the other.

Authors: Antonio Monegal, Alyce Mahon, Éric Marty, Stéphanie Genand, Dany-Robert Dufour, Eloy Fernández Porta

Related to Sade