Notes on Michel Foucault and the Panopticon

Introduction to Michel Foucault

• French philosopher, influential 20th-century thinker.
• Known for analysis of the panopticon (panopticism).

The Concept of the Panopticon

• Originally a circular prison design by Jeremy Bentham.
  • Prisoners are constantly surveilled by a central guard.
  • The guard is invisible to prisoners.
• Foucault uses the panopticon as a metaphor for modern surveillance.

Foucault as Historian

• Explains the transition from ancient/medieval worlds to the modern world.

Surveillance in History

• Example from "Discipline and Punish": 17th-century plague town.
  • Government imposed strict regulations to control contagion.
  • Power penetrates into private spaces, organizing interactions.
  • Described as a utopia of a perfectly governed city.

Modern Power and the Panopticon

• Modern forms of power resemble the panopticon.
• Bentham's panopticon design:
  • Efficient model with minimal staff.
  • Prisoners assume they are always watched.
  • Guards see without being seen.

Foucault's View on the Panopticon

• Surveillance is permanent, even if action is discontinuous.
• Power relation is independent of the person exercising it.
• Prisoners effectively guard themselves.
• Applicable beyond prisons:
  • Factories, schools, etc.
• Example: Zoom classes and camera surveillance.

Panopticon as a General Model

• Dominant form of power relations in the modern world.
• Mass surveillance teaches self-discipline.
  • Disclosure of personal information, monitoring.
  • Doesn't feel oppressive; associated with productivity.

21st Century Surveillance

• Personal data as currency.
• States and institutions collect extensive data.
  • Personal devices track daily activities.
• Foucault's view: modern world includes emergence of the surveillance state.

Conclusion

• Modernity includes both democratic freedoms and disciplinary surveillance.
• Reference to Foucault's "Discipline and Punish" for further understanding.