Comparing Foucault's 'Discipline And Punish'

Words: 327
Pages: 2

Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish is a history of the modern penal system, and an analyzation of how it has evolved into what it presently is. Foucault tackles a number of topics in relation to this, including a detailed section on “panopticism”. The author begins his evaluation of panopticism by discussing how 17th century society dealt with plague. He segues from this into his description of Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon. This is a system wherein every aspect of a prisoner’s life can be viewed as a result of a centralized tower that is surrounded by cells. The prisoner is unaware if they are being surveilled or not, but must always assume they are, as punishment is swift and brutal. Foucault continues by detailing how the Panopticon has