Foucault's Panopticism

Panopticism meaning a certain view point from an all seeing eye seems to be the way we as a people, although we may not know it are being seen. Within every building, social class, or individual there is a certain type of behavior permitted and if that behavior is not met with what is “right” there is discipline to be handed out. Maybe the world as we know it is under one big microscope and every moment of a regular citizens life is carefully observed by a greater power than themselves. Author Michel Foucault of the essay “Panopticism” discusses this problem of power and discipline and how we see it in our every day social society.
Michael Foucault begins his discussion by talking about a place where militia rules over the citizens and there
is a “plague” that shadows over the land surrounding them. Making sure no one catches this disease, all citizens are forced to stay in their house until further notice. The plague seems to be a metaphor for the “rebellious citizen” who is tired of living under the normal rules and regulations. The house holding the citizens would be used as a type of box or jail because they don’t want anyone getting any ideas of escape or influence from others. You kick a disruptive schoolchild out of the classroom and everyone ceases to have that influence of disruption in them, basically getting rid of the bad seed. When plague strikes, the boundaries of normal and abnormal are blurred. Anyone can become sick, and therefore abnormal, and within this story abnormal is a detrimental case.
He then describes how they contain these disruptive citizens and what the building structure is compared to in today’s containment fields.
“Bentham’s panopticon is the architectural figure of this composition” (Foucault 285). The panopticon’s job “In short reverses the principle of the dungeon; or rather of its three functions- to enclose, to deprive of light, and to hide- it preserves only the first and eliminates the other two”(Foucault 286). The diagram of this containment structure seems to show that the prisoner is completely visible by the authority at hand but the prisoner himself cannot see if the authority is watching him at all times. This is a tremendous example of power because it shows that if one person loses any senses in this case sight, and another person has that sense available it could make you weak thus giving the power to the higher authority. Foucault shows the reader how this structure is used in today’s jail cells stated the “Interior of the penitentiary at Stateville, United States, twentieth century” (Foucault
289).
The panopticon also collected data of its prisoners over their behavior and actions towards situations helping understand a human so the power would remain constant.
Knowledge is power, and without rule there is chaos. This type of data collecting and power is seen in everyday life buildings such as a hospital, school, or prison (Foucault 293). In these places you are observed and are expected to act accordingly to the rules inside of that confinement and if not are either placed in a mental hospital, detention, or solitary confinement. “Power of mind over mind” is used in all of these structures because without any other type of discipline besides confinement you will not be able to think rationally (Foucault 293). Power is obtained because with nothing to do but be confined in a small area you are bound to follow rules and just accept where you are until further
notice.
Foucault seems to want to show throughout this story how we as a people have used certain discipline for power and social order in the ongoing centuries. The way he uses the example of his jail system as compared to our society’s jail system shows that power, today is used in an observation and examination type of way. Foucault does understand that a healthier, more educated and simpler life would be obtained if life were the way that he explains it, but he also does understand that citizens should be able to make their own decisions and arguments to the state freely. Foucault agrees with both arguments but continues to believe that with such examination of a civilian you will learn to understand them more and find out why they act the way they do to certain situations.
This examination spreads throughout society. Schools, factories, hospitals and prisons are all alike, not just because they look similar, but because they resemble a containment camp if you will to make sure that you are not released until you are showing improvement to be somewhat accepted in the society we live in. Each of these buildings contain either workers, patients or prisoners, and make them seem and treat them as if they are individuals but are really just trying to teach them to become what is considered “normal”. The fact that the modern citizen spends much of his life in at least some of these institutions reveals how far society has changed.
Michael Foucault’s story of panopticism could affect anyone walking on today’s earth.
Not only does he explain how we as a people view power and discipline but he also tries to explain why the world is the way it is when it comes to authority. World needs order and understanding so society can continue moving forward with positivity in the later years. Without either factor there would be total destruction and no one would learn how to cope with another human’s behavior, and that is needed to continue to make earth a sensible place to live.