Exploration of Ancient History and American Context

For most of western history, sex outside of marriage was forbidden by law, with adulterers even facing the death sentence. The church, the state and neighbours all put huge amounts of energy into catching sexual wrongdoers and seeing them punished. But between 1600 and 1800, this entire world-view was shattered by revolutionary new ideas - that consenting adults have the freedom to do what they like with their own bodies, and morality cannot be imposed by force.

In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Faramerz Dabhoiwala, author of The Origins of Sex, about his groundbreaking research into how the modern approach to sex came about.