Panopticism: Explaining the Concept Found in Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison by Michel Foucault

Michel Foucault wrote about the Panopticon in his book Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. In the chapter entitled "panopticism," he speaks metaphorically of the way we are controlled by authority: that our respect for those in power springs not from the actual strength of authority, but rather from an individual's fear of the authority. Using the example of Bentham's "Panopticon," Foucault shows us the simplicity, yet the undeniable effectiveness, of such supervision.

He writes that in old times, lepers were sent from their homes to live in their own community, with other lepers: this way they could not contaminate the healthy. But with the rise of the plague, people were separated one by one: as classes, towns, and individuals. This was the ideal way to run a city: with people separated from each other. It is easier to keep track of - and much easier to control - an individual's skills, preferences, and behavior when that individual is by himself. For this reason, the Panopticon was invented.

In theory, the Panopticon is a circular building made up of multiple rings of holding cells, one on top of the other. In the center of these rings is a tower, to observe the activity of the prisoners, workers, etc. Each cell is large enough for a single person, and separated from the next by a wall; this way, prisoners cannot see each other, and thus function as individuals rather than as a mob. The front of the cell is blocked with bars, so that the prisoner is visible from the tower, and the back of the cell has a window so that the prisoner is illuminated with sunlight and cannot hide. Foucault points out that any prisoner can see the tower, feel it watching him, and know that he is powerless to escape its gaze; but that at the same time, the guard in the tower need not be looking at that exact prisoner.

This is the beauty of the Panopticon: the prisoner internalizes the feeling of being watched, thus it is unnecessary for him to actually be so. He will behave as though he is under the watchful eye of a guard, when in reality the tower could be empty and the prisoner would not know the difference. For this reason, it is important that the prisoner never know when he actually is being watched. The men in the tower should be able to see everything, but at the same time remain invisible to those they watch. The prisoners, then, are never certain whether they are or are not being seen; but as long as the tower is there, they are trapped, and will in most cases act as though they were being constantly guarded.

Foucault writes that the Panopticon can also function as a workplace, or a learning environment, under the same principles: an individual, working alone, and never knowing when he may or may not be seen by the watchful eye of his superiors. It is an ideal way to keep an eye on people, because it can be manned by very few guards: the feeling of being watched deters most bad behavior, so that problems are stopped before they begin; therefore the bulk of the power of the institution lies not in the men that run it, but in the doubts and fears of the vulnerable prisoners held within.