Leo Bersani's 'Sexthétique' Challenges Sexual Pastoral

Leo Bersani's new book 'Sexthétique', published by Epel in the 'Les grands classiques de l'érotologie moderne' collection, critiques the dominant 'pastoral' discourse that preaches salvation through sexuality. Bersani argues that most people do not actually like sex, and he challenges the contemporary ideology of sexual happiness. The book, a collection of articles and lectures, draws on thinkers like Jacques Lacan, Michel Foucault, and Georges Bataille, and uses examples from Pedro Almodóvar's films and Catherine Millet's writings. Bersani proposes a 'sexthétique' that models a non-appropriative relationship with self and world, advocating for an ethics of loss and depersonalization. He critiques both Gay Pride and Gay Shame, rejecting identitarianism and arguing for a masochistic jouissance that breaks with normative thought and behavior. The collection is edited by Jean Allouch and Danielle Arnoux.