Panopticism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Foucault's Discipline and Punish
In Discipline and Punish, Michel Foucault builds on Bentham's
conceptualization of the panopticon as he elaborates upon the function
of disciplinary mechanisms in such a prison and illustrated the function
of discipline as an apparatus of power. The ever-visible inmate,
Foucault suggests, is always "the object of information, never a subject
in communication".[1] He adds that,
"He who is subjected to a field of visibility, and who knows it,
assumes responsibility for the constraints of power; he makes them play
spontaneously upon himself; he inscribes in himself the power relation
in which he simultaneously plays both roles; he becomes the principle of
his own subjection" (202-203).[2]
Foucault offers still another explanation for the type of "anonymous
power" held by the operator of the central tower, suggesting that, "We
have seen that anyone may come and exercise in the central tower the
functions of surveillance, and that this being the case, he can gain a
clear idea of the way the surveillance is practiced".[3]
By including the anonymous "public servant," as part of the built-in
"architecture" of surveillance, the disciplinary mechanism of
observation is decentered and its efficacy improved.
As hinted at by the architecture, this panoptic design can be used
for any "population" that needs to be kept under observation or control,
such as: prisoners, schoolchildren, medical patients, or workers:
"If the inmates are convicts, there is no danger of a plot, an
attempt at collective escape, the planning of new crimes for the future,
bad reciprocal influences; if they are patients, there is no danger of
contagion; if they are madmen there is no risk of their committing
violence upon one another; if they are schoolchildren, there is no
copying, no noise, no chatter, no waste of time; if they are workers,
there are no disorders, no theft, no coalitions, none of those
distractions that slow down the rate of work, make it less perfect or
cause accidents".[1]
By individualizing the subjects and placing them in a state of
constant visibility, the efficiency of the institution is maximized.
Furthermore, it guarantees the function of power, even when there is no
one actually asserting it. It is in this respect that the Panopticon
functions automatically. Foucault goes on to explain that this design is
also applicable for a laboratory. Its mechanisms of individualization
and observation give it the capacity to run many experiments
simultaneously. These qualities also give an authoritative figure the
"ability to penetrate men’s behavior" without difficulty.[1]
This is all made possible through the ingenuity of the geometric
architecture. In light of this fact Foucault compares jails, schools,
and factories in their structural similarities.
clic para ver detalles
comparte tu opinión sobre esta web
