Virtual panopticon
This is my take on panopticism in the virtual world. If you are on social media, you’ve voluntarily become part of a virtual panopticon. I think it is reasonable to say that Social Media is modeled after Bentham’s panopticon. Just like the users in the cubicles in panopticons and of social media accounts can be […]
Some Thoughts on Panopticism
Foreword: This is a rather extensive digression on two topics and a series of thought experiments that particularly interest me. Why we are not living in a panopticon at this moment: One of the most common pitfalls, in my opinion, when comparing the panopticon of a prison with modern day real life surveillance is … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Panopticism
The Panopticon of Res Life
I’m not sure if this will turn out as more of a rant than a chill commentary, but hey. It has relevance to Foucault. I think. Alright, so a key part of living in residence at all universities is that … Continue reading →
The Use of Discipline in the Education System
In his book Discipline and Punish, Michael Foucault discussed the relations of disciplinary mechanisms seen in educational institutions. Foucault brings up clear and reliable points seen in the education system that have intentions towards discipline. Although the institution of learning … Continue reading →
Foucault and “Big Brother”
“Knowledge linked to power, not only assumes the authority of ‘the truth’ but has the power to make itself true.” Foucault, Discipline and Punish Foucault is not merely a complicated thinker. Any attempt to understand his position is compounded by his … Continue reading →
Detain & Exploit
I had two questions in seminar. They were these: Foucault outlines some specific methods of disciplining and reconditioning the soul of prisoner into a state of “docility-utility” (eg. separation in space, panopticon, examinations). To what extent are these methods and this process even ethical? While the term “docility-utility” might describe a state […]
What Would Jesus Do?
Being raised by a strictly Christian mother, and growing up and staying thirteen years in the same Catholic school has undeniably taken a toll on the development of my morality. The very country I live in, the Philippines, is greatly influenced by the Christian faith in almost every sociopolitical aspect of the society. However, the mere fact that the Bible has become the uncontested rule book of our country does not necessarily prevent crime from happening. High levels of crime rate and drug trade/use has continued over the years (we’ll…read more
Some thoughts on the criminal justice system: why it’s impossible to get right
When someone commits a crime, the question of punishment is the first to come to mind. One has to ask themselves: what do I want out of my response to this criminal? In my estimation, there are 4 answers to … Continue reading →
Foucault, Discipline and Punish
Video recording and slides for Christina Hendricks’ lecture on Foucault’s Discipline and Punish for the Seeing and Knowing theme, February 2016.
‘Til The Funding Runs Out
In Robert Anton Wilson’s Illuminatus trilogy, the Anthony Quinn-lookalike, Discordian anarchist pirate/lawyer Hagbard Celine (try to fit that on a business card) follows three laws in accordance to his personal philosophy. The first two overlap eerily well with Foucault’s writings, especially … Continue reading →