Puritan Conscience and Modern Sexuality

In a fascinating essay in philosophical history, Edmund Leites examines the sexual attitudes of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England and discusses how they have affected beliefs on a variety of issues. Drawing upon the insights of psychoanalysis and a wide array of historical and literary sources, Leites shows that the Puritans called for a lifelong integration of sensuality, purity, and constancy within marriage.