Gay Life and The Enlightenment | Sir Noel Malcolm: The History of Homosexuality (4/4)

Jan 28, 2025 | In this lecture, Sir Noel Malcom makes the case that there was not a sudden surge in homosexuality after The Enlightenment, instead it was a continuation of practises which had always existed. Historians should consider the history of Europe and sexual exploration outside of Florence, as the focus on this area to the determent of others has led to many having been misled.

Sir Noel Malcolm is a British historian and author, known for his work in early modern history and the relationship between Europe and the Islamic world. He's a Senior Research Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford, and has written extensively on Thomas Hobbes, among other subjects. Knighted in 2014, he's also a Fellow of the British Academy and the Royal Society of Literature.

His book upon which these lectures were based, has been nominated for the 2025 The Duff Cooper Prize. It can be purchased here.

The first three parts of this lecture series can be found here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.