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• W1998861855 abstract "Nature,Sodomy,andSemanticsinSade's LaPhilosophiedansleboudoir WILLIAMF.EDMISTON Quelanaturefûtbonté,c'estcequeles philosophescrurentd'abord;cefutaussice qu'ilscessèrentdecroire,aprèsyavoirmieuxréfléchi. [Naturewasgoodness,thatiswhatthe philosophesbelievedatfirst;itisalso whattheyceasedtobelieve,afterhaving thoughtbetterofit.]1 Manywritersintheeighteenthcenturyattemptedtoestablishanormative conceptofnatureasaformofmoralauthoritythatmightreplacethatof Scripture.Asanethicalnorm,naturewasdeployedtojudgethemeritsof humaninstitutionsandsociallegislation.Bytheendofthecentury,ithad becomecommonplacetosaythatnaturewasalegislativevoice.But naturemeantmanydifferentthingstomanywriters.IntheEncyclopédie, d'Alembertbeginshisarticleonthesubjectwithdisarmingunderstatement: Nature,hewrites,estuntermedontonfaitdifférentsusages[Natureisa termforwhichonehasdifferentuses].2D'Alembertenumeratesvariousof theseuses,asarticulatedbyindividualsrangingfromAristotletoNewton andBoyle.Hislistincludestheuniverse,being,essence,thelawsof motion,thechainofcausesandeffects,andevenGod.Speakingoftheterm natureinhislandmarkEssaysintheHistoryofIdeas,ArthurO.Lovejoy explainedthatthemultiplicityofitsmeaningshasmadeiteasy,and common,toslipmoreorlessinsensiblyfromoneconnotationtoanother, andthusintheendtopassfromoneethicaloraestheticstandardtoitsvery antithesis,whilenominallyprofessingthesameprinciples.3Itisprecisely thisslippageofreferentsthatIwouldliketoexamineintheMarquisde Sade'sLaPhilosophiedansIeboudoir,atextinwhichslippageappliesnot 121 122/EDMISTON onlytothetermnaturebutalsototherelatednotionsoflaw,crime, andsodomy.Iwouldliketolookfirstatthewayinwhichsemantic shiftingisincorporatedintoarhetoricalstrategyusedtopromoteSade's propaganda,andthenatcertaindestabilizingfeaturesofhistextwhichseem toundermineitspresumedmessage. LaPhilosophiedansIeboudoirisaphilosophicaldialoguepublishedin 1795,perhapslargelywrittenadecadeearlier.Thetexthasadefinite pedagogiccharacter.ItssubtitleisLesInstituteursimmoraux:Dialogues destinésÃl'éducationdesjeunesDemoiselles[TheImmoralSchoolteachers: DialoguesDevotedtotheEducationofYoungLadies].Itstitlepage announcesthatlamèreenprescriralalectureÃsafille[motherswill prescribeitsreadingtotheirdaughters].Thecontentofthetextisalsoan educationalexperience,inwhichtwolibertines,DolmancéandMadamede Saint-Ange,assistedbythelatter'sbrother,theChevalierdeMirvel,spend severallate-afternoonhourswithafifteen-year-oldgirl,EugéniedeMistival, inordertoeducatehereroticallyandphilosophically.Eugenie'sinitiation tothemostsecretmysteriesofVenusincludesnearlyeverysexualact exceptlarouteordinaire,theoneactthatcanleadtopregnancy.The myriadsexualactivitiesareinterspersedwithlongdiscussionsbythetwo schoolteachersaboutaphilosophyofnatureuponwhichallthiseroticism isbased.Inthetraditionofeighteenth-centuryphilosophicalliterature,this textisdidacticandpropagandist,yetitdepartsfromtraditioninthe relationshipitattemptstoestablishbetweennatureandmoralconduct.Sade differsfromhispredecessors,notinhisbeliefthatnatureshouldbethe ethicalmodel,noreveninhisconceptionofnature,butespeciallyinthe radicalconclusionshedrawsconcerningnatureasabasisforsocial behavior.4 Thereareatleasttwodiscoursesofnatureatworkinthetext,andthese aregroupedaroundtwopolarizedconceptsofnature:onestemsfroman empiricalviewofnature,encompassingeverythingthatcanbeobserved,and theotherrevealsateleologicalviewofnatureasaforcethatprescribeslaws designedtomeetcertainends.TherhetoricalstrategyusedbySade's characterstointegratethesediscoursesmovesfromonepoletotheother throughfourlogical(butnotalwayssequential)stages.Stageoneisbased onanexistentialanddescriptiveviewofnature.Accordingtothisfirst stage,naturallawcanbeseenineverythingthatexists,andparticularlyin whatevergivespleasure.Sade'slibertinesappealtodescriptivelawsof nature,anexistentialandnon-hierarchicalconceptinwhichlawseemsto meannothingmorethanthewaythingsare.DolmancéinstructsEugénie as follows: Aucune[fantaisie]nepeutsequalifierainsi[extraordinaire],machère; toutessontdanslanature;elles'estplu,encréantleshommes,à différencierleursgoûtscommeleursfigures,etnousnedevonspasplus nousétonnerdeladiversitéqu'elleamisedansnostraitsquedecelle qu'elleaplacéedansnosaffections.[Nonotionmaybequalifiedas Nature,Sodomy,andSemantics/123 extraordinary,mydear;allarefoundinnature;whenshecreatedmen,it pleasedhertomaketheirtastesasvariousastheirfaces,andweshould nomorebeastonishedbythediversitythatshehasplacedinour featuresthanbythatwhichshehasplacedinouraffections.]5 Inthisempirical,non-teleologicalconception,whichconformsto eighteenth-centurymaterialistthinking,natureismatter,motion,and transformation.Natureisthereforeamoral,oblivioustomankind,indif- ferenttothelossofspermaswellastohumansuffering.Thelibertines speakofthediversityofhumanpleasures,allofwhicharenatural,forman isnotthemasterofhisinclinations.Whatisinnature?Allacts,every- thingthatexists:specificallymentionedareadultery,illegitimacy,rape, incest,sodomy,masturbation,destruction,murder,infanticide,parricide, selfishness,cruelty,nakedness,homosexualdesire,libertinage,aswellas sensibilityand—curiously—affectionatefeelingstowardfathers.When lawmeansthewaythingsare,therecanbenoreferentforcrimeor infractionortransgression.Nothingisacrimebecausenaturehasno lawsandnoends.Natureknowsnorestraints,noteventhoseimposedby humanlaws,andthereisnocrimeexceptthatwhichisdefinedassuchby society.Byhumanstandards,natureseemsunjustbecauseshetreats criminalsandvictimswithequality,andsheisthereforeatoddswiththe humaninventionofajustGod.Pleasureistheprinciplethatguidesman- kindtonature'sdesign,thatis,humanhappiness.Noactioniscriminaland noneisvirtuous,formoralityisrelative,theproductofhumanconvention.6 Theexistentialargumentalreadycontainsmarkersofateleological discourse.Ifpleasureisaguidingprinciple,thenanythingleadingto pleasureisnatural,whileanythingopposingpleasureisanti-natural.There isslippagefromthedescriptivetowardtheprescriptive,andthesecondstage ofthetext'srhetoricalstrategybecomesanattackontraditionalChristian interdicts,especiallythosewhichopposepleasureandthereforehappiness. Suchrestraintsaredenouncedasanti-natural.GeoffBenningtonspeaksof thesuperimpositionoftwodiscourses,thatofpositivelawandthatofa certainlawofnatureasdefinedbySade:inonesystemcrimehas meaning,whileintheotheritisdeniedmeaning.7Eugénieisquickto graspthedistinctionbetweenthesetwosetsoflaws: Oh!mesdivinsinstituteurs,jevoisbienque,d'aprèsvosprincipes,il esttrèspeudecrimessurlaterre,etquenouspouvonsnouslivreren paixÃtousnosdésirs,quelquessinguliersqu'ilspuissentparaîtreaux sotsqui,s'offensantets'alarmantdetout,prennentimbécilementles institutionssocialespourlesdivinesloisdelanature.[Oh!mydivine teachers,Iseeverywellthat,accordingtoyourprinciples,thereare veryfewcrimesonearth,andthatwemaypeacefullysurrendertoallour desires,asstrangeastheymayappeartofoolswho,shockedand alarmedbyeverything,stupidlyconfusesocialinstitutionswiththe divinelawsofnature.](3:421) 124/EDMISTON LikemanyofhisEnlightenmentpredecessors,Sadedeploysthisdescriptive conceptofnaturetounderminetheprescriptivemoralimperativesof Christiantraditionandofeighteenth-centuryFrenchsociety.Inthelatter system,crimeisdefinedasaninfractionofapositivelaw,whichusually bearsnorelationtonature.Suchinfractionsarenotcrimesintheeyesof nature,andsocietyhasnorationalexcuseforcarryingoutpunitiveacts againstthosewhocommitthem.Manisthusdeniedeventhepossibilityof committingacrime.AccordingtoDolmancé,thecivillawsforbidwhatis innaturebecausethegeneralinterestisalmostalwaysinconflictwithindi- vidualinterests.Whilethereisnoconflictbetweennatureandanindivid- ual'spenchants,thereisatremendousstrugglebetweenthelatterandthe falseprinciplesofsociety.8 ThesefalseprinciplesofsocietyincludenotonlyChristianprohibitions thatopposepleasureandhappiness,butalsomanytraditionalvirtues(and hereweseeanotherslippageawayfromtheempirical).Thethirdstageof therhetoricalstrategymovesfarthertowardtheteleologicalpole,criticizing manyactsandsentimentsthatnotonlyexistinnaturebutwhichhave usuallybeenvalorizedinWesternethics,andwhicharesummarilyde- nouncedasunnaturalinthistext.Whereasstagetwoattacksthetraditional interdictions,stagethreeaimsatthetraditionalpositives.Christianvirtues suchaschastityandmonogamousmarriage,aswellasthefearofpregnancy andconcernforone'sreputation,arebasedontheopinionsofmenandare viewedbythelibertinesasattemptstocombatnature.Thetextmentions manyactsandsentimentsthatnaturedoesnotcounselbecausetheygo againstherlaws,andthelistmaybereducedtothreetypesofoutrages: everythingthatbondsonehumanbeingtoanother,everythingthatprevents womenfromhavingindiscriminatesex,andeverythingthatpromotes population.TheseincludenotonlytheChristianvaluesofchastity,marital fidelity,andfilialobedience,butalsomanyhumanitarianvaluesthateven thematerialistsfoundtobenatural,suchasdecency,charity,beneficence, altruism,fraternity,pity,love,friendship,familysentiment,andthatholiest ofphilosopheholies,virtue(atermthatoftenincludedallofthepreceding). Inshort,Sade'slibertinesarebentondestroyingamonolithicinterpretation ofnaturallaw,whichtheydecryasmerelyafictionalconstructdevisedby writerswhohavemisreadnatureoronlyhalfunderstoodher.9 Aswehaveseen,Sade'slibertinesdonotconfinethemselvestodefending therealmoftheempirical.Theyslipfrequentlyfromthematerialist, descriptivelawsofnaturetoprescriptivelawsdictatingactioninsociety.10 Intheirhands,orratherintheirspeeches,ahierarchyisreimposed.Nature onceagainbecomesateleologicalconcept,butonethatreplacesthatofthe philosophes.Thelibertines'substituteteleologyisalsoasubstitutetheol- ogy.Sade'snatureissubstitutedforGod:shebecomestheCreator,a goddesswhohasdivinelawsandends.Oncenaturebecomesteleological, Nature,Sodomy,andSemanticsI125 shecanbeoutraged.Therecanbeinfractions,andinadizzyingshiftof referencecrimeonceagainassumesasignificance.Itsignifieseverything thatinhibitsorprohibits,aswellaseverythingthatsocietyhaspermitted andencouraged.Butjustasthegoddesscanbeoutraged,shecanalsobe served.Instagefour,thediscoursemovesfromattackonvirtuesto advocacyofso-calledcrimeswhichdonotoffendnaturebutindeedserve her.ThecrimesandvicesofChristiandiscoursearestrippedoftheir traditionalnegativemeaningsandarepromotedaspositiveservicesto nature,homagetothegoddess.Thetextspellsoutwaysinwhichnature maybeserved:theseincludeadultery,sodomy,enjoymentofwomenby men,women'sgivingintosexualdesireandofferingthemselvestomen, incest,murder,andtheextinctionofthehumanrace. ThestructuringprincipleofSade'sargumentisasystematicinversionof theage-oldvalorizationofreproductionoverpleasure,promotedby ChristiantheologiansandEnlightenmentthinkersalike.EchoingDiderot's Penséesphilosophiquesahalf-centuryearlier,Sadeexplainsinhispreface thatthepassionsarethemeansthatnatureusestomakemenarriveather designsforthem,thatistosay,theirhappiness.11Theprefaceencourages women,whomDiderothadregardedasthesafeguardsofmorality,toscorn anythingthatopposesthedivinelawsofpleasure.Ifnaturewereoffended bysodomy,incest,andmasturbation,shewouldnotpermitustofind pleasureinthem.Fromthematerialistargumentofnature'sindifference towardthelossofsperm,Sadeconcludesthatpleasure,ratherthan population,isthegoalofhumansexuality.Pleasurenotonlyreplaces populationastelos,butpopulationisrejectedfromthevaluesystemand becomesanathema.Whereasorgasmservesnature,pregnancyoffendsher. Thelibertinesaffirmthatallsexualactsthatdonotleadtoreproductionare aservicetonature'slaws,whilethosethatdoareanoutrage.Sincenature's goalispleasure,sheapprovesofwhatisselfish.MadamedeSaint-Ange saysthatwomenmustarriveatpleasurethroughpain—ahappyconvenience formenwhoenjoyinflictingpainonwomen—andthatanalsexistherefore preferabletovaginalsex.Therealmoftheempiricalisallbutforgotten,as thelibertinesexpressdisgustforwhattheycalltheordinaryroute,theone thatleadstopregnancy.Becauseoftheirmaterialistbeliefinthenecessity ofdestructioninnature,Sade'scharactersconcludethatnatureencourages selfishness,cruelty,andmurder—anotherexampleofslippagefromthe existentialtotheteleological. Thefourstagesofthetext'srhetoricalstrategymightberepresented schematicallyasfollows:(1)Xisnaturalbecauseeverythingis;(2)to forbidXisthereforeanti-naturalandwrong;(3)torefrainfromperforming Xisanti-naturalandwrong;and(4)Xthereforeservesnatureandshouldbe performed.Onetextualexampleamongmanyisthatofincest:(1)incestis naturalbecauseitexists;(2)prohibitionofincestisanti-natural(even thoughsuchaprohibitionmaybedeemedtohaveasocialvalue);(3) voluntaryavoidanceofincestisanti-natural;and(4)thereforeincestserves 126/EDMISTON natureanditbecomesapositivevalueinSade'sfictionalworld.Inthis text,ThomasMoore'sstatement—Ifnaturesanctionsacertainhuman behaviorinanysocietywhatsoever,Sadeimplies,thatisevidenceofthe necessityandvalueofthatbehavior—isvalidonlyinitsexistentialand descriptivemode.Initsteleologicalmode,thelibertinescondemnchastity, fidelity,andotherbehaviorsthataresanctionedinmanysocieties.12 Thefourstagesarenotalwaysunfoldedsequentially.Stageoneisoften implicit,whiletheteleologicalstagesarepresentedinalternatingpositions. Forexample,exclusiveloveispositedasanti-natural.Thefactthaterotic desireformorethanonepersonexistsinnatureisimplicit,andthefactthat exclusivelovealsoexistsissimplyignored.Theconclusionisthendrawn thatindiscriminatesexualactivitywithanyoneandeveryoneisaservice renderedtonature.Inothercases,advocacyofonevaluemayprecedethe offensiveattackonitsopposite.Destructionservesnature,thereforepro- creationisanti-natural.Thesametacticisusedtoadvocatenakedness,selfishness ,andadultery,whichrequiresthedenunciationofclothing, friendship,andmarriage,respectively. Iwouldliketolookabitmorecloselyattherepresentationofsodomyin thistextbecause,outsideofSade'swritings,sodomy,thatutterlyconfusedcategory,asMichelFoucaulthascalledit,wasalooselydefinedsexualcategoryineighteenth-centurysociety,asitcontinuestobeinourown.13 ForthisreasonIbelieve..." @default.
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• W1998861855 title "Nature, Sodomy, and Semantics in Sade's<i> La Philosophie dans le boudoir</i>" @default.
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