Foucault's Theory Of Panopticon

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The theory that relentless surveillance and constant visibility promotes conformity is the foundational principle of panopticism. As perceived by French philosopher Michel Foucault, the panopticon is an icon of permanent visibility, heightening self-awareness throughout society. As a result, the panopticon serves as an unverifiable means of power that cannot be confirmed by society. This power the panopticon possesses is a disciplinary power forcing society to remain on high alert for fear that any inappropriate behavior may result in negative implications to one’s well-being. This fear of consequence ultimately conforms behavior as society anticipates constant observation. In the world today, institutions and government have since assumed …show more content…

With the hopes of homogenizing behavior, normalizing judgment utilizes disciplinary power to control citizens. As a panopticon is emplaced in society, Foucault states “in each of its applications, it makes it possible to perfect the exercise of power” (Foucault 206), meaning correct behavior becomes more practiced and understood as society fears the consequences of rebellion. This occurs, as Foucault describes, “in several ways: because it can reduce the number of those who exercise it, while increasing the number of those on whom it is exercised” (Foucault 206). Once the majority of society members have conformed to such behavior, power is transferred from the individual to choose how they act, to the institution that normalized the behavior. Furthermore, as normalized judgment is practiced in society, it becomes more widely …show more content…

However, that power is maintained by such figures because of an advantage in the power/knowledge relationship. Foucault describes this relationship as being one where power is controlled by those who possess all knowledge. In the case of the panopticon, the guards who oversee the prisoners possess this all-seeing knowledge as they have the ability to track and keep tabs on every action of every prisoner. The heightened self-awareness that results amongst the prisoners is due to the fact that they know and understand they’re always being watched. As they cannot see who is watching them and when they are being watched, they will forever lack the power that comes with such knowledge. Ultimately, this lacking knowledge of when they are being watched is the cause of normalized behavior amongst the prisoners. In many developed societies today, there is a great deal of competition amongst those fighting to create their own panopticons. No longer limited to a secular group, panopticons appear in all forms to monitor political, social, and economic behavior in

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