Marquis de Sade was a French philosopher, writer, and revolutionary politician famous for his libertine sexuality and erotic works including novels, short stories, plays, dialogues and political tracts. His erotic works combine philosophical themes, 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.