Bentham's Panopticon and Foucault (pre-Read)
Details
Jeremy Bentham's panopticon is a circular prison design allowing a single guard to observe all inmates without them knowing if they are being watched, creating a state of conscious and permanent visibility. Michel Foucault expanded on this concept in his work "Discipline and Punish," using the panopticon as a metaphor for modern disciplinary societies. Foucault argued that the panopticon exemplifies how power is exercised through surveillance, internalizing discipline within individuals. This shift from physical punishment to psychological control marks a fundamental change in the mechanisms of power, emphasizing subtle, pervasive means of societal regulation and self-regulation.
Please read in advance for the discussion:
i) Section 42 of this anthology, entitled "The Panopticon or the Inspection-House". This section consists of Bentham's letters on the topic.
ii) This section from Foucault's "Discipline and Punish".
Other discussions:
- The Enchantments of Mammon (Meeting 2) on Wednesday June 12
- The History of Money in the Renaissance on Thursday June 13
- Movie Discussion: Threads (1984) on Friday June 14