Governing Morals: A Social History of Moral Regulation

This evocative and broad-ranging book traces the history of moral regulation in Britain and the US from the late seventeenth century to the present day. Specific coverage is given to movements such as the Society for the Reformation of Manners and the Vice Society, the sexual abuse and anti-pornography movements, and contemporary self-help movements. Hunt argues that the main impetus for moral regulations often stems from the middle classes, rather than those with institutional power, but most significantly they provide classic instances of the intimate link between the ‘governance of others’ and the ‘governance of the self’. Using the work of Foucault, this book analyses how projects of self-regulation can manifest themselves into the regulation of others. Concurrent with this is the rise of health discourses, which play a central role in contemporary discussions of moral governance.

• First comparative study of moral regulation movements in Britain and US
• Highlights contemporary moral concerns in the light of their precursors, comparing continuities and differences
• Situates feminist moral activism in both its formative period and contemporary manifestations