Bentham and Foucalt- The Panopticon (This is a bit more than 400 words, but I have a lot to cover so please bare with me!)

Panopticon- Jeremy Bentham

 

                Bentham believes that the Panopticon, which will soon be described, can be an applicable feature to any establishment in a, as he puts it, “not too large” of a space (which is not exactly properly defined). This space must be a building, where people are meant to be kept under inspection (such as prisons, hospitals, schools and/or factories). This theory came about because Bentham proposes that perfection in an establishment of any kind would require that a person should be in a state of observation, or perceived observation, at all times. Since this is almost impossible, enter the Panopticon theory. Bentham proposes the theory of the Panopticon, which is a theory that initiates in a subject the reason to believe that he/she is being watched. Bentham believes the Panopticon to be a skillful and inventive way of precautionary surveillance, and has quite specific criteria for his idea.

                Bentham envisions a circular building with cells that occupy the circumference of that building. These cells would be divided so that prisoners are secluded from intercommunication. Something that he calls an “inspector’s lodge” would occupy the center of this building with an “intermediate/annular area” between the lodge and the cells. Outside of the building to the lodge would be a “passage” about the width of a single cell. Each cell would have a window that lets in light and the cell would be made of an iron grating so that the inspector could see everything that is occurring. The grating would open as a door, and this opening would be “sufficiently large”. There would also be part ions between cells so that there was no prisoner to prisoner viewing.

                As for the inspector’s lodge, Blinds on windows would be present at about eye level with the prisoners. There would be removable partitions, and the apartment would be divided into quarters. Windows would open to the intermediate area, and small lamps on the outside of the windows would have reflectors to shine light into each cell. A crude microphone made of thin metal tubing would be present from each cell to the lodge and a bell and rope would serve as an alarm. Bentham goes more in depth, and discusses how water would be afforded to prisoners and even how their “filth” would be disposed of. He went quite in depth on his theory.

 

Michel Foucalt- Discipline and Punish- The birth of the Prison

                Foucalt discusses how the Panopticon “reverses the principal of the dungeon” which is to enclose, deprive of light, and to hide, and it makes it possible to instead “see constantly and recognize immediately”. I found this quote interesting because it is in concurrence with what Bentham is trying to accomplish, and shows that Foucalt is a supporter of the idea. One thing Foucalt did note was that the Panopticon only preserves the first portion of the dungeon theory which is to enclose. Foucalt goes on to discuss how the Panopticon abolishes collective effects, no matter which group you have in the Panopticon; be in prisoners, workers, patients or school children. There is a lack of collectiveness within the theoretical Panopticon.

                Foucalt really touches on the power aspect of the panopticon theory, and this is a comparison to Bentham. He states that “surveillance is continuous in its effects, even if it is discontinuous in its action” with the Panopticon theory. An inmate never truly knows for sure if he is being looked at but always could possibly be watched. This quote also interested me very much. It reminds me of Schrodinger’s cat, and how the probability of the cat being dead or alive is equal, so in reality the cat is in a state of being both dead and alive. This is a case in which the prisoner would have an equal chance of being watched or not being watched, so theoretically, the prisoner would always be being watched, whether or not he truly IS in fact being watched, because there is equal probability of the two. In short, Foucalt praises the idea of the Panopticon, but puts a bit of his own two cents in as to the potential effects.