TheGrinder on Nostr: The #Panopticon as a Metaphor for Modern Society In Discipline and Punish (1975), ...
The #Panopticon as a Metaphor for Modern Society
In Discipline and Punish (1975), French philosopher Michel Foucault took Bentham’s panopticon and applied it to broader structures of power in modern society. He argued that the principles of the panopticon-surveillance, self-regulation, and psychological control had expanded beyond prisons and into:
Governments: Mass surveillance and bureaucratic oversight create a society where individuals conform to state expectations out of fear of consequences.
Schools: Students are monitored, graded, and disciplined, conditioning them to obey authority and regulate themselves.
Workplaces: Employees are tracked through cameras, productivity software, and performance reviews, fostering self-policing behaviours.
Social norms & digital surveillance: Today, social media, data tracking, and AI-driven monitoring create an environment where people behave as if they are constantly being watched—even in the absence of direct punishment.
Foucault described this system as “disciplinary power” a form of governance where control is internalized. People do not realize they are "prisoners" because they willingly participate in their own regulation, assuming it is normal.
In Discipline and Punish (1975), French philosopher Michel Foucault took Bentham’s panopticon and applied it to broader structures of power in modern society. He argued that the principles of the panopticon-surveillance, self-regulation, and psychological control had expanded beyond prisons and into:
Governments: Mass surveillance and bureaucratic oversight create a society where individuals conform to state expectations out of fear of consequences.
Schools: Students are monitored, graded, and disciplined, conditioning them to obey authority and regulate themselves.
Workplaces: Employees are tracked through cameras, productivity software, and performance reviews, fostering self-policing behaviours.
Social norms & digital surveillance: Today, social media, data tracking, and AI-driven monitoring create an environment where people behave as if they are constantly being watched—even in the absence of direct punishment.
Foucault described this system as “disciplinary power” a form of governance where control is internalized. People do not realize they are "prisoners" because they willingly participate in their own regulation, assuming it is normal.