Donatien Alphonse François de Sade (1740 - 1814), better known as the Marquis de Sade, was a French aristocrat, revolutionary politician, philosopher and writer. He is best known for his erotic works, which combined philosophical discourse with pornography, depicting sexual fantasies with an emphasis on violence, criminality and blasphemy against the Catholic Church. He was a proponent of extreme freedom, unrestrained by morality, religion or law. The words sadism and sadist are derived from his name. He was incarcerated in various prisons and in an insane asylum for about 32 years of his life.