Joanne,
You write in this post that de Sade:
"...aims not only to exceed, but to offend 'procreative' sexuality through the act of sodomy, by prodigally planting his 'seed' in shit. Against this, however, we also find in Sade a curious deference to the Law of Nature, to which the characters in his books frequently avow their service, by taking part in the destruction that is a necessary counterpart to flourishing."
"The cruelty Sade is known for is the natural outgrowth of his philosophy and the pervailing attitude toward Nature during his life. Nature is the only real ruler of man, he says. Nature is sometimes cruel, indeed in the view of Western Civilization, Nature is always cruel. Therefore, says the Marquis, humans, if they are to be in harmony with the only true governing force, must allow themselves to at least imagine being cruel. Now, while one might criticize the Marquis for not being able to cross the rubicon with his views on Nature as he did with homosexuality, the fact remains that the conclusion is logical within De Sade's framework."
Nature is 'cruel' only from the human perspective. I think an important aspect of nature for Sade is that 'she' is indifferent to the fates of individual human beings (even human being as a whole). The idea is that destruction is a necessary antecedent to growth and diversity within the system... and death and suffering is inextricable from the joy of life. 'Nature' would be unmoved if the entire human race were wiped out tomorrow. This is the respect in which Nature is a law: because it is perfectly general in its application... no one escapes death. Sade's obsession with cruelty is his attempt to negotiate the opposition of the generality of the law and individuality. Each must die in his or her own way, and one's attitude to one's own death is all important—one may die artfully (and for the enjoyment of oneself and others), and thus can demonstrate one's uniqueness.
Posted by: Jo Faulkner on November 15, 2004 09:47 AMHmm,
This is the disdavantage of not reading de Sade's own texts. Maybe I will need to read his 'Dialogue between a Priest and a Dying Man.'
At this stage I'm reading him as working with the French materialist's way of regarding nature: nature is a machine; it is composed of atomistic matter in motion; we are part of this machine; and we cannot transgress its laws.
(As an aside I do find it strange that de-Sade also talks about nature as 'she', which is a reversion back to the mediaeval undestanding of nature as a female organic being with ends or purposes.)
Nature arouses in me desires and so I do as these bid? It is nature that causes our human behavior.Reason is a slave of our natural passions or desires? An instrument to satisfy them?