Proto-Naturism?
Enlightenment Radicalism & Bodily Freedom
James Burnett, Lord Monboddo; bathing nude in a river in Scotland, watched over by Leontion and Frances Wright
When we think of “naturism” today—non-sexual social nudity practiced in a spirit of equality, health and liberation—we tend to place its origins in 19th-century vegetarianism. But beneath surface of organised naturism in France lies a deeper and older intellectual current. Before advent of nudist colonies: various philosophers, radicals and reformers questioned social conventions separating animals from nature, from one another; and, from their own bodies.
This blog-post traces proto-naturist thoughts of two revolutionary figures: James Burnett (1714 - 1799) and Frances Wright (1795 - 1852); also, of Lucretius, Epicurus & Leontion (all mentioned in ancient literature). Together, these five writers demonstrate that naturism isn’t just about taking off one’s clothes—it’s part of a struggle for freedom, equality, and authenticity.
Lord Monboddo: A Judge Who Undressed Civilisation
James Burnett/Lord Monboddo (1714–1799), was an Enlightenment thinker whose ideas prefigured Darwin and challenged assumptions about civilisation. Furthermore, Burnett was personally committed to nudity in public life. James Burnett (aka Lord Monboddo) believed humans were not created in their current form, but evolved from simpler, more natural states. In his multivolume Of the Origin and Progress of Language, he argued that language and society were not divine gifts but natural developments—and that much of what we call “civilisation” was a corrupting force.
Lord Monboddo, a caricature by John Kay
Far from keeping abstract theories, James Burnett bathed nude in cold Scottish rivers, even into old age. Whilst others wrapped themselves in social decorum, James Burnett dared to believe that nudity was natural and health-giving. Though he never created a naturist community, James Burnett’s open practice of nudity in a repressive society marks him as one of the earliest known Western intellectuals to publicly reclaim the naked body without shame.
Frances Wright: Radical Equality & Philosophy of Body
Fast forward a century to Frances Wright (1795–1852), a Scottish-born American writer, orator and abolitionist whose radicalism shook the foundations of early American society. Known for fiery public lectures—delivered in an era when women were expected to remain silent—Wright championed the causes of women’s rights, racial equality, secularism and communal living.
Frances Wright never advocated for naturism in a literal sense, but her philosophy of liberation included a powerful sense of bodily autonomy and moral freedom. In countless public lectures, Frances Wright defended Epicurus from centuries of slander, presenting him as a philosopher of reason, equality and simple pleasures. She also invoked Leontion (friend of Epicurus), as a model of female intellect and independence. By doing so, Frances Wright helped reclaim classical materialism and sensuality as liberatory, rather than decadent.
Wright was not only a proto-feminist, but a proto-intersectional feminist—she recognised how race, gender, class and belief intersect in struggles for social justice. In this light, naturist philosophy - with it’s rejections of body shame, hierarchy and repression - resonates with Wright’s broader vision of equality and authenticity.
Lucretius, Leontion & Ethics of Being
James Burnett and Frances Wright were inheritors of an intellectual tradition that traced back to Epicurus (341–270 BCE) and his Roman interpreter Lucretius. Epicurus taught that freedom from fear, freedom from superstition and pursuit of modest pleasures were keys to human happiness. Ὁ Κῆπος (‘the garden’) was radically egalitarian—open to women, slaves and outsiders: a simple and communal setting, whether semi-clothed or nude.
Leontion was a rare female philosopher of antiquity who dared to publish arguments under her own name, reportedly even challenging Aristotle. Classical world contained seeds of liberation, albethem obscured by patriarchal traditions.
Lucretius’s De Rerum Natura, rediscovered during Renaissance, revived Epicurean ideas of naturalism, anti-superstition, and bodily acceptance during Enlightenment. James Burnett would have known of Lucretius’s influence and Wright explicitly drew from this legacy.
Naturism Today: Continuity in the Struggle for Bodily Freedom
Modern naturism—when stripped of commercialism and reduced to core values—is radically egalitarian. It denies artificial hierarchies of fashion, wealth, gender and class. In a world shaped by performance and perfection, naturism asserts: body is enough, as it is.
Charcoal drawing, colourised using a computer
Naturism is aligned with LGBTQIA+ movements, gender nonconformity and inclusive communities that embrace bodily diversity. Rejection of shame/repression shares roots with movements for transliberation, nonbinary visibility and queer embodiment. Leontion, Lucretius, James Burnett and Frances Wright didn’t speak in modern gender or sexual vocabularies, but their philosophies centred the body as a site of freedom—making them intellectual ancestors of today’s inclusive naturist communities and opponents of non-inclusive corporate imposters.
Conclusion: Toward Liberation
To practice naturism thoughtfully is to take part in a centuries-old tradition of philosophical and practical resistance. From James Burnett’s chilly swims (18th century CE) to Frances Wright’s incendiary lectures (19th century CE); from Lucretius’s poetic science (c. 58-55 BCE) to Leontion’s forgotten voice (circa 325–275 BCE); a thread of bodily autonomy, equality and reason has always existed beneath a surface of organised crime and public corruption.
Naturism is more than a fun vacation activity. It is an act of solidarity to live freely. It’s a movement to strip away oppression, illusion and shame.
Author’s Note (May 2025):
In an era of rising intolerance and rigid identities, naturism’s message is refreshingly radical: the human body is not a problem to be solved—but a truth to be honoured. Let’s remember and reclaim bold thinkers who said as much, even when the world wasn’t ready to listen.