Overview
For the last two hundred years, the name of the Marquis de Sade has had a singular power to evoke graphic images of the torturous and often murderous practices that bear his name. Sade himself has been labeled a sadomasochistic pornographer, and his works of fiction are considered by some to be the basis for the ideas that led to the Nazi death camps.Must We Burn Sade? peels away the layers of this negative legacy. This intriguing collection of essays examines the literary, theatrical, political, social, and philosophical aspects of Sade's writing, demonstrating that Sade's most important work concentrates on the constant struggle in humanity between virtue and vice, which can only be resolved by the creative and destructive impulses of nature. Like no writer before him, Sade shows that desire exists within the matrix of good and evil.
This collection reveals Sade's influences and motivations, providing an understanding of society's fear of him while at the same time acquitting him of the false accusations that have plagued his name and his writing for far too long. Sade's words demand that we rethink our relationship to history, that we challenge traditional notions of right and wrong, and that we see the world as it really is. These demands come full circle as the contributors to this volume force us to rethink Sade himself.
The collected essays highlight various aspects of Sade's work, notably: Georges Bataille's discussion of history and philosophy in Sade's writing; Kathy Acker's analysis of feminism in Philosophy in the Bedroom and "Florville and Courval"; a discussion of Sade's theatre by Annie Le Brun; Philippe Sollers's historical analysis of Sade before, during, and after the French Revolution; and a discussion of Sade, language, and philosophy by Alphonso Lingis.
Synopsis
Sawhney (philosophy, The Union Institute College of Undergraduate Studies, San Diego) gathers together 12 essays which seek to examine Sade as writer of novels and letters, playwright, and essayist. Contributors, including Kathy Acker, Georges Bataille, Annie Le Brun, and others, examine the literary, theatrical, political, social, and philosophical aspects of Sade's work and attempt to distinguish between scholarly criticism and accusations that have been leveled against him out of social fear. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR