Bentham's Panopticon and Foucault (pre-Read)

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