Peakman, Julie; (2001) Cultural, scientific and religious influences in eighteenth-century erotica, c.1680 - c.1830. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The eighteenth century was a pivotal time for the development of English erotic texts. Not only was there a proliferation of foreign imports but the English home-grown market was expanding. This thesis is a survey of such erotica and it will examine the market and the subject matter in an attempt to understand how this material made the impact it did. This thesis will argue that erotica was not an isolated body of material but part of a large corpus of material which infiltrated many social spheres. The main aim is to understand how this erotica was a reflector of sexual and cultural values held elsewhere. It will show how erotica acted as a conduit for old folklore superstitions, new scientific opinions, religious prejudices and a form of social gossip. It will argue that erotica absorbed ideas emanating from the world of science and religion and expressed both traditional mores and radical opinion. It will also map the erotic body in culture to show how a multiplicity of images of sexuality in eighteenth-century erotica was fed by external images. It will trace their roots and look at the elements which contributed to the making of English erotica. It will also attempt to uncover the particular components which contributed to the making of English pornography. Overall, this thesis is about the history of attitudes of sexuality in eighteenth-century English culture. It is concerned with the perceived notions of sexual behaviour; cultural images of sexuality and the relationship between erotica and the world within which it was produced. It is not merely about the erotic in culture but about how topics other than sex, particularly science and religion, were given a sexual context. This thesis will show how erotica fitted into a broader cultural scheme of the world, thereby providing a greater understanding of the history of sexual attitudes in the eighteenth-century.

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