Marc Alain Descamps a french psychologist and yoga teacher ¹ wrote several books about naturism and naturist living. Including Vivre nu (Living Naked ):The Psychosociology of naturism

Naturism is practised in many ways: Marc Alain Descamps, in his study written in French, classified the types as: individual nudism, nudism within family, nudism in the wild, social nudism. Additionally, militant nudism, including campaigning or extreme naturists, is sometimes considered a separate category. ²

Like many of the naturists of his time Descamps had a very principled value based view and philosophy of naturism. He rejected the idea that naturism was not a philosophy and “everyone lives their naturism as they see fit”. Instead he promoted a non moralistic naturist ethic supported by a system of shared values. ³

It is therefore necessary to understand naturism as a new system of production of values. ⁴

The rehabilitation of the human body

The vital need for close contact with nature

The ability to self-control

The management of looks (the gaze)

Non-discrimination

Naturism as a laboratory of democracy

Descamps saw naturism as participating is a larger social project designed to bring about a richer more evolved civilization. He believed naturism was a precursor to environmentalism. He was prescient is saying naturists should be thinking about protecting the environment in order to protect humanity from the effects of climate change. Descamps believed ecology could not be fully expressed if naturism was not involved. ⁵

Descamps was also a yoga teacher and practiced naturist yoga.

Marc Alain Descamps

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