「《性史》處理的是意識的發生史，即作為『欲望的自我意識的主體』的發生史。」

-- Pierre Bourdieu弔念傅柯所撰：〈自由的思想〉（Une libre pensée，1984）

傅柯在1970年被任命為法蘭西公學院（Collège de France）思想體系史（Histoire des systèmes de pensée）講座教授之後，自1970年代起，經常至美國加州柏克萊等大學進行短暫的講課，美國的體驗對傅柯的研究方向帶來了重大的轉折。在這段時間，傅柯著手研究西方文化中關於性的歷史，展開預定出版六卷《性史》（Histoire de la sexualité）的龐大撰寫計畫。傅柯於1976年出版了《性史第一卷：知識的意志》（La Volonté de savoir）；原本預定的題名其實是《性與真理》（Sexe et la vérité），後來之所以改名為《知識的意志》，一方面刻意向尼采的《權力意志》（The Will to Power / Der Wille zur Macht）致敬，另一方面「知識的意志」也是傅柯在法蘭西公學院第一年的講座主題。在《性史》中，傅柯結合了《知識考古學》的考古學方法以及《規訓與懲罰》採用的系譜學方法，先描述後反省了所謂的「性壓抑假說」，即「西方文明中的性的歷史同時也就是性壓抑的歷史」這樣的觀點。傅柯認為，西方文明中的性壓抑論述乃伴隨著對性的更多觀點與討論的持續出現，因此，性的歷史既非性壓抑的歷史，也不是性解放的歷史；而是，在現代西方文明中，某種作為『「性」的「體驗」』被持續建構出來。傅柯主張，「性作為體驗」這樣的概念，在十九世紀以前幾乎未曾出現過，而是相當晚近的發明。在傅柯過世的那一年，1984年出版了《性史第二卷：快感的使用》（L'Usage des plaisirs），裏頭呈現的預計出版資料中，傅柯已經安排了接下來要出版《性史第三卷：自我的關照》（Le Souci de soi）（1984）和《性史第四卷：肉身的告白》（Les Aveux de la chair）（2018）。傅柯將性視為一種歷史上的「獨特體驗」來探討，所要從事的正是「欲望主體的系譜學研究」。儘管性史的研究計劃在1984年戛然而止，然而，「欲望主體」的歷史至今仍持續書寫。

"The History of Sexuality deals with the history of the emergence of consciousness, that is, the history of the emergence of the 'self-conscious subject of desire'."

-- Pierre Bourdieu in memory of Foucault: "The Thought of Freedom" (Une libre pensée, 1984)

After Foucault was appointed chair professor of the History of Ideological Systems (Histoire des systèmes de pensée) at the Collège de France in 1970, he often gave short lectures at universities such as Berkeley, California, in the United States since the 1970s. His experience in the United States brought a major turning point to Foucault's research direction. During this time, Foucault began to study the history of sexuality in Western culture and embarked on a huge project to publish a six-volume Histoire de la sexualité (History of Sexuality). Foucault published "The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: The Will to Knowledge" (La Volonté de savoir) (La Volonté de savoir) in 1976; the original title was actually "Sexe et la vérité" (Sexe et la vérité), but it was later renamed "The Will to Knowledge". On the one hand, it was a deliberate tribute to Nietzsche's "The Will to Power / Der Wille zur Macht" (The Will to Power / Der Wille zur Macht). On the other hand, "The Will to Knowledge" was also the theme of Foucault's first-year lecture at the Collège de France. In "The History of Sexuality", Foucault combined the archaeological method of "Archaeology of Knowledge" with the genealogical method used in "Discipline and Punishment", first describing and then reflecting on the so-called "sexual repression hypothesis", that is, the view that "the history of sexuality in Western civilization is also the history of sexual repression." Foucault believed that the discussion of sexual repression in Western civilization was accompanied by the continuous emergence of more views and discussions on sex. Therefore, the history of sex is neither a history of sexual repression nor a history of sexual liberation; rather, in modern Western civilization, a certain "experience" as "sex" is continuously constructed. Foucault argued that the concept of "sex as experience" had almost never appeared before the nineteenth century and was a rather recent invention. In the year of Foucault's death, "L'Usage des plaisirs" (L'Usage des plaisirs) was published in 1984, the year of Foucault's death. Among the expected publication information presented in it, Foucault had already arranged to publish "Le Souci de soi" (Le Souci de soi) (1984) and "Les Aveux de la chair (2018)" (2018). Foucault discussed sex as a "unique experience" in history, and what he wanted to engage in was the "genealogical study of the subject of desire." Although the research project on the history of sexuality came to an abrupt end in 1984, the history of the "desire subject" continues to be written to this day.

指定閱讀
《性史第一卷：知識的意志》，林志明譯，2022，麥田。
《性史第二卷：快感的使用》，林志明譯，2024，麥田。

其他參考閱讀
《傅柯》，Didier Eribon著，尉遲秀譯，2022，春山出版。
《傅柯的多重人生》，David Macey著，陳信宏譯，2023，春山出版。
《傅柯—超越結構主義與詮釋學》，德雷弗斯、拉比諾著，錢俊譯，初版三刷，2011，桂冠圖書公司。
《德勒茲論傅柯》，德勒茲著，楊凱麟譯，2000，麥田。
《傅柯考》，Frédéric Gros著，何乏筆、楊凱麟、龔卓鈞譯，2006，麥田。
《傅柯：危險哲學家》，Alain Brossat著，羅惠珍譯，2012，麥田。
《哲學家傅柯的公寓》，Mathieu Lindon著，吳宗遠譯，2018，商周

Specified reading
"The History of Sexuality Volume One: The Will to Knowledge", translated by Lin Zhiming, 2022, Wheatfield.
"The History of Sexuality Volume 2: The Use of Pleasure", translated by Lin Zhiming, 2024, Wheatfield.

Other reference reading
"Foucault", written by Didier Eribon, translated by Yu Chixiu, 2022, Chunshan Publishing.
"Foucault's Multiple Lives", written by David Macey, translated by Chen Xinhong, 2023, Spring Mountain Publishing.
"Foucault - Beyond Structuralism and Hermeneutics", written by Dreyfus and Rabinow, translated by Qian Jun, first edition three times, 2011, Laurel Book Company.
"Deleuze on Foucault", written by Deleuze, translated by Yang Kailin, 2000, Wheatfield.
"Foucault Examination", written by Frédéric Gros, translated by He Bubi, Yang Kailin, and Gong Zhuojun, 2006, Wheatfield.
"Foucault: Dangerous Philosopher", written by Alain Brossat, translated by Luo Huizhen, 2012, Wheatfield.
"The Apartment of the Philosopher Foucault", written by Mathieu Lindon, translated by Wu Zongyuan, 2018, Shang and Zhou Dynasties