Michel Foucault Essay Example

the plague. Foucault believed that the political vision of the plague entailed meticulous categorizations, the implementation of regulations through hierarchical authority, and the identification of each inhabitant's true name, true location, true physical state, and true illness.

The people of the plague practiced self-governance by speaking up for treatment and following rules to avoid death. This idea of discipline was born from the image created by the plague. The plague brought about disciplinary mechanisms through techniques for measuring and supervising abnormal beings. During the 18th century, the rituals of exclusion arose from lepers. However, instead of dividing them like during the plague, a more complex system of separation, surveillance, and power development was required.

J. Bentham’s Panopticon was the mechanism used to achieve this. The panopticon is considered a result of political technology. It is an annular building with a central tower that contains spacious windows. The building is segmented into cells, each with an inner window aligned with the tower and an outer window allowing light into the cell. Every individual is placed in a cell, while an inspector oversees them from the central tower.

The inspector has the ability to observe individuals without being seen. In the panoptic system, convicts cannot escape or commit future crimes, patients cannot spread diseases, and workers are not at risk of theft or labor unions causing delays. The architecture of the panopticon symbolizes an ideal form of power that is both visible and unverifiable. Although those being observed can see the observing tower, they never know for sure when they are under surveillance.

The inspector has the ability to observe everything

without being observed. No force was necessary to influence the behavior of the convicts, calm the madman, or motivate the worker. It was not necessary to physically confine the individuals. All that was required were clear separations and well-arranged openings. This allowed the inspector to monitor the performances, development, behavior, stubbornness, or laziness of the individuals. In a way, the individuals in the panopticon autonomously governed themselves and adhered to the expected behavior.

The notion of self-awareness originated from the recognition that individuals were frequently uncertain if they were being watched, causing them to be mindful of their actions. The 17th and 18th centuries witnessed various social reforms that set the groundwork for the current state. Today, prisoners are confined in physical prisons where they are either isolated or housed with another inmate. These inmates must abide by Correctional Officers' directives and strive for personal development. Surveillance systems have been implemented as a method of control within prisons.

The use of surveillance cameras is currently employed to monitor and record activities. Correctional Officers closely supervise inmates through daily head counts, which are then reported to the watchmen. Discipline is enforced to ensure control and authority over inmates, with consequences like the seven day diet punishment where unappetizing food is provided for non-compliance or engaging in harmful behavior.

The inmate being sent to the SHU, also known as the Secure Housing Unit, has additional consequences. The SHU is an isolated area under surveillance, and it administers cruel and unusual punishment for the severity of the inmates' actions. Being in the SHU can lead to "SHU syndrome," which is similar to post-traumatic stress disorder

and includes symptoms like anxiety, depression, and hallucinations. The inmates also self-govern to avoid harsh consequences and to eventually regain their freedom outside the cells.

The individuals in power allow inmates to have self-awareness of their actions. Throughout the last century and continuing today, various methods have been employed to achieve this political vision. During the 17th century, the strategy employed was to divide the town into quarters in order to regulate those affected by the plague. Each quarter had an intendant overseeing it and a syndic monitoring it. Power was mobile and easily noticeable, and disobedience resulted in death.

During the 18th century, in response to the fear of the plague, a model called the panopticon was established. This model exerted power and discipline across various domains, such as reforming prisoners, treating patients, instructing students, confining the insane, and providing work opportunities for the poor. Operating on constant surveillance with an inspector stationed in a central tower monitoring every individual, the panopticon relied solely on architectural design and geometry to directly influence individuals instead of resorting to division and confinement seen during the plague. Interestingly enough, inmates in prisons still remain confined within these types of structures today.

In a building, individuals are housed in cells and monitored by Correctional Officers and surveillance cameras. Their actions determine whether they will receive freedom or punishment. Historical examples of reformation include the 17th-century plague epidemic and the panoptic system of the 18th century. Reformation continues today, with examples such as the prison system, which aims to shape inmates' behavior, hospitals that help patients, psychiatric hospitals that confine and treat the mentally ill, and

the workforce that provides employment opportunities.

Throughout history, power and knowledge have played crucial roles in shaping societies. Each era has had its own political vision and employed diverse strategies to attain it. Over time, social reform has progressed, leading us to the present day. Discipline and punishment have long been utilized as means to exercise control over individuals, whether through segregation or confinement. This conditioning aims at fostering obedience towards those in authoritative positions with the ultimate objective of establishing an ideal society.