Discipline and Punish

Michel Foucault

Get this SparkNote to go!

Study Questions and Suggested Essay Topics

Does Foucault believe that prison can be abolished as a penalty?


What is the prison's place in society?


Why does Foucault call Discipline and Punish a history of the modern soul?


How far does Foucault's explanation of the development of the prison depend on social and economic factors?

What is the relationship between Foucault's role as a political activist and the concerns of Discipline and Punish?

Discuss the concept of the gaze in Discipline and Punish.

What is the role of the Panopticon in the work?

How does Foucault explain the movement for prison reform?

Is Discipline and Punish a work of history or philosophy?

Where and how was the modern prison "born", according to Foucault?

Imprisonment Critized

by brittfoerster, April 12, 2013

The ideal of a penal imprisonment is criticized by many reformers because
1. it is incapable of corresponding to the specificity of crimes
2. it has no effect on the public
3. It is useless, even harmful to society: it is costly. it maintains convicts in idleness, it multiplies their vices.
4. the execution of this penalty (imprisonment) is difficult to supervise
5. There is a risk of exposing prisoners to the uncontrolled power of the guards
6. The job (prison guard) is an exercise of tyranny (dictatorship)

0

More Help

Buy the ebook of this SparkNote on BN.com

Easy to view on your iPod, phone, or ereader.

EVEN MORE HELP! ↓

Take a Study Break

SparkLife

What's your Pretty Little Liars name?

Take this quiz to find out!

SparkLife

Which young actress just got married?

Click to find out!

SparkLife

Cat bearding WINS THE INTERNET

Have you seen this yet?

SparkLife

Scary movies with funny posters

These. Are. Hilarious.

Geek out!

The MindHut

Geeky Actors: Then and Now

Travel back in time!

The MindHut

Villains We Want These Actresses to Play

From super cute to super bad!

The MindHut

10 Movies Better Than Their Books

What do you think?

The MindHut

Summer Movie Open Thread

Leave your thoughts here!

The MindHut

12 Scientific Inaccuracies in Into Darkness

What did Star Trek get wrong?

The Book

Cover image

Order Discipline and Punish at BN.com

All the words, printed on paper. Classic!

Cover image

Read What You Love, Anywhere You Like

Get Our FREE NOOK Reading Apps