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Foucault's Argument About The Function Of Power And Society

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In Discipline and Punish, how does Foucault use Jeremy Bentham’s prison design to create an argument about the functioning of power and society? According to Foucault, why do citizens follow the rules of their society? Give an example of the functioning of the panopticon in your everyday life. Foucault uses Jeremy Bentham’s prison design to start an argument about the functioning of power and society. First is the design of the jail, there is the windows on the periphery which extend to the width of the entire building. The periphery building has these windows to put you under the impression that you are being watched, even if not. From the windows the person or guard on duty can see into every cell. The threat of the windows and there maybe someone watching you is enough …show more content…

In this case the windows give the guards power because the threat of always being watched strikes fear in the prisoners and makes them follow the rules. As a result of that the guards have all the power in this society which leaves nothing for the prisoners. According to Foucault people follow the rules of their society because if you are not following the rules someone could be watching. If they do not follow the rules it results in the person getting punished. So people follow the rules in society whether they are being watched or not. The functioning of the panopticon in a person's everyday life can be many things. For example events like driving on any road such as highway, neighborhood road, or interstate. There are undercover cop cars that drive on those rods to see if you are following the speed regulations. Which then makes you think you are always being watched in the middle of the road. Me when I am in my house and my parents are home and they do not like cursing. I always have to watch my language while in the

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