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M. Foucault ‘Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison’

M. Foucault ‘Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison’ . Part 4 - Prison. Introduction. Previous theory on the emergence of and social function of prisons suggest their existence shows high levels of societal development. Foucault’s view was that prisons were almost as bad:

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M. Foucault ‘Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison’

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  1. M. Foucault ‘Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison’ • Part 4 - Prison

  2. Introduction • Previous theory on the emergence of and social function of prisons suggest their existence shows high levels of societal development. • Foucault’s view was that prisons were almost as bad: • “The shift from a criminality of blood to a criminality of fraud” • Foucault’s link between prison and other institutions in society

  3. Background and Structure • ‘Discipline & Punish’ published in 1975, one of Foucault’s best known works • Structure of the book, Four main parts, chapters in each • *PART ONE – TORTURE • *PART TWO – PUNISHMENT • *PART THREE – DISCIPLINE • *PART FOUR – PRISON (which I will focus on)

  4. ‘Guidelines for Study’ • Foucault establishes four main guidelines which he intends to follow in the rest of his work • 1) “Regard punishment as a complex social function” • 2) “Regard punishment as a political tactic” • 3) “Find link between the history of penal law and the human sciences” • 4) “Find link between the entry of the soul into the penal justice scene and how the body is invested by power relations”

  5. ‘Complete & Austere Institutions’ • In this chapter Foucault looks at the early stages of the prison system and the roles that it was meant to play. • These were: • ISOLATION • WORK • THE DECLARATION OF CARCEAL INDEPENDENCE

  6. ‘Illegalities & Delinquency’ • In this chapter Foucault goes into more detail in his criticism of penal detention stating 5 main critiques. • He believes prison can be worthwhile and comes up with seven universal maxims of ‘good penitential condition’. • He goes on to argue how the prison system ends up creating an ‘economy of illegalities’.

  7. ‘The Carceral’ • The ‘Carceral System’ is a group of institutions including prison that act as disciplinary mechanisms throughout society. • Foucault dates the beginning of this system to the opening of the Mettray in 1840. • The carceral system “succeeds in making the power to punish natural and legitimate”.

  8. Overview of Foucault’s argument • Prisons are part of network of disciplinary institutions that regulate our behaviour. • Whilst they were conceived as a sophisticated form of punishment they have a number of different failings which mean they do not fulfil their aims. • Prisons role in maintaining existing power relations -maintaining the political order.

  9. Critical Assessment • Foucault offers a unique take on many aspects of prison particularly through his idea of the existence of ‘the carceral system’. • A criticism of Foucault is that he focuses too much on the idea of “Prison as a form of control” (Garland) • Weaknesses in the political aspect of his theories • However overall ‘Discipline & Punish’ of great importance – argues the paradoxical view

  10. Bibliogrpahy • ‘Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison’ by Michel Foucault (1977) • ‘Foucault: A Critical Reader’ ed. David Couzens Hoy (1986) • ‘Michel Foucault’ by Clare O’Farrell (2005) • ‘Foucault’s “Discipline & Punish” An Exposition and Critique’ by David Garland (1979)

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