Michel Foucault: Theorizing Historical Reason in the Critique of Discipline and Punishment - Essay Sample

Introduction

According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2018), Michel Foucault was a renowned French philosopher and historian, who lived between 1926 and 1984. Some of his notable works are History of Madness and Medicine (1961), The Birth of the Clinic (1963), The Archeology of Knowledge (1969), and Discipline and Punishment (1975). In his books, Foucault wrote theories that critique historical reason (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2018). This essay will analyze Foucault's theory of disciplinary power and its relevance in today's world.

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Foucault's theory explains how discipline is a power that affects the behavior of people in society through subtle means. For Foucault, disciplinary practices are reinforced by knowledge and surveillance systems such as schools, prisons, and militaries (White Fuse Media Ltd, n.d.). According to the article by White Fuse Media Ltd (n.d.), Foucault perceived power and knowledge as related entities; the latter is an exercise of the former. Power is only a way through which discipline can be exercised; the two terms do not mean the same thing. According to the theory, people's discipline is determined by the messages on the proper way to live; therefore, the behavior is not necessarily shaped by punishment (Martirosyan, 2017). Foucault studied disciplinary society to understand the history of surveillance systems used to enforce discipline (White Fuse Media Ltd, n.d.). Disciplinary power is subject to the knowledge of human sciences since they help people to get a better understanding of themselves.

Disciplinary power is related to biopower and governmentality, which refers to the management of people's conduct by considering the desires and thoughts of every person, instead of using sovereign power. Foucault studied how through biopower, the government in modern times manages births, deaths and health of populations (White Fuse Media Ltd, n.d.).

According to Foucault's disciplinary theory, punishment changed from being practised in the open - as it was with sovereign power - to enclosed rooms such as prisons. While sovereign power places punishment on the body, disciplinary power tries to bring change to mind and soul (Thompson, 2016). Foucault believed that disciplinary authority evolved after introduction of the panopticon, a prison design which allowed guards to observe prisoners while they were in their rooms, without their knowledge. Since the prisoners were under constant surveillance, they were forced to monitor their behavior by themselves (Thompson, 2016).

The disciplinary power is evident in various institutions today, due to surveillance; some of the examples include schools, prisons, and modern corporations. In schools, the behavior of students is continuously monitored by teachers, other students, and management. Every school has its own rules that when broken, students are punished by being suspended or expelled from the institution. Disciplinary power is also evident in schools since students have to electronic registers to verify their attendance. Activities of the students are also monitored through security policies enforced by the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) (Dans, 2018).

A research article by St-Pierre & Holmes (2008), revealed that disciplinary power could be used to manage violence at workplaces to create a safe environment for workers. The research showed that disciplinary actions, power, and surveillance could be used to control human resources in hospital management. Similarly, workers are monitored in organizations through CCTV and other techniques to ensure they do not waste time, they exhibit excellent management skills in offices, and their performance is evaluated (St-Pierre & Holmes, 2008).

According to Sheridan (2016), although the panoptic no longer exists, it has been replaced by security camera surveillance, and other measures using modern technology to monitor prisoners. Therefore, disciplinary power is still in action in the contemporary world through technology. Monitoring of individuals does not only happen in prisons, but also hospitals, streets, schools, and organizations. Therefore, I believe that the surveillance for twenty-four hours a day makes people shape their behavior because they are being watched. Electronic surveillance has increased exponentially in the current decade; According to Sheridan (2016), the government continually monitors every person in the US through the National Security Agency (NSA).

In the modern day, the excessive exercise of the disciplinary power would appear as an invasion of personal privacy. According to an article by Munn (2016), mass surveillance through monitoring the citizens done by the government harms individuals in society. Munn (2016) argued that mass surveillance goes against freedom of expression, political affiliation, and the right to privacy, which every individual should enjoy. Also, monitoring makes affects people's behavior, causing them to avoid writing or participation in topics with controversy. In a study done in the United States, people suppressed their opinions on how the government targeted Islamic states when they were told that they were monitored. According to the study, individuals who were in support of mass surveillance suppressed their opinions too Munn (2016). Therefore, monitoring has a visible effect on the behavior of populations, which might not benefit them, since as the study findings show, it leads to fear.

Apart from mass surveillance through cameras and tools on the internet, the government and other institutions collect personal data from people, to understand their behavior (Munn, 2016). In his article, Munn (2016) reported that there is a high potential of the metadata (personal data collected); however, the practice is continually going on at an uncontrollable rate.

The disciplinary power is instrumental in controlling the behavior of individuals through surveillance and knowledge. In the contemporary world, it has been used to reduce crime, and to shape the behavior of human beings by people themselves. Although the method holds ethical issues such as privacy, and collection of metadata against peoples' will, it is still valid for those using it. In my opinion, the subjects studied by Foucault have only been replaced by technology; however, the disciplinary power remains effective. The disciplinary power is not used in enclosed rooms alone, but also the open through peaceful means. For instance, CCTV security surveillance in the streets affects the behavior of populations outside their rooms. To some, the use of technology to monitor people does not appear as an act of protection as intended, but an intrusion to privacy, and spying. An article by Aalto University (2012) confirms this assumption; its findings, it declares that computerized surveillance causes anxiety, anger, and annoyance to people. These effects lead to an adverse change in behavior; however, they do not cause any mental challenges. Therefore, modern disciplinary power makes me believe that it is equivalent to sovereign power, only without physical punishment. The disciplinary power used today could be reformed by putting the needs of people into consideration, where necessary. Nevertheless, it should remain unchanged in learning institutions and workplaces due to its ability to control unwanted behaviors and violence.

References

Aalto University. (2012, October 8). Negative effects computerized surveillance at home: Cause of annoyance, concern, anxiety, and even anger. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121008101646.html.

Dans, E. (2018, August 23). Surveillance in Schools: Where is this Taking Us? Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/enriquedans/2018/08/23/surveillance-in-schools-where-is-this-taking-us/

Martirosyan, T. (2017, October 14). Critique of Foucault Theory of Displinary Power. Retrieved from https://martirosyantigran.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/critique-of-foucault-theory-of-disciplinary-power

Munn, N. (2016, November 8). How Mass Surveillance Harms Societies and Individuals - and What You Can Do About It. Retrieved from https://www.cjfe.org/how-mass-surveillance-harms-societies-and-individuals-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/

Sheridan, C. (2016). Foucault, Power and the Modern Panopticon. Trinity College Digital Repository. Retrieved from https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/theses/548

St-Pierre, I., & Holmes, D. (2008). Managing nurses through disciplinary power: A Foucauldian analysis of workplace violence. Journal of Nursing Management, 16(3), 352-359.

Thompson, K. (2016, September 21). Foucault - Surveillance and Crime Control. Retrieved from https://revisesocialogy.com/2016/09/21/foucault-surveillance-crime-control/

White Fuse Media Ltd. (n.d.). Power/Knowledge. Retrieved from https://routledgesoc.com/category/pofile-tags/powerknowledge