'Discipline & Punish (Foucault, 1975) is not just a history of the Essay

Discipline & penalise (Foucault, 1975) is not just a history of the emergence of the prison but a history of the emergence of a - Essay showcaseThus, Discipline and Punish could be deemed as Foucaults critique not only on the potence of prison in attaining its key objectivethe disciplining of the prisoner by subjecting him to conditions that are marked by entire surveillance and controlbut also on the true reason for the emergence of various brotherly structures today such as the government, school, and other institutions (Mc Gaha, 2000). Precisely, it is Foucaults belief that such systems had only been created to cater the elite group group (which I shall explore in more detail in the next part of the paper) that bolstered his attempt on the basic foundations of human civilization. Specifically, by recognizing the essence of prison and other social institutions as save instruments used by the elite to maintain and enhance their mightiness in society, Foucault was able to qu estion fundamentally the possibility of attaining human freedom in groundbreaking-day society. In a deeper regard, I could surmise that Foucaults attacks on social structures could be attributed to his anarchistic mindset (though not explicitly revealed in any of the texts) as he clearly disregarded the need for such systems. Therefore, human freedom must be seen as the act of letting one be and not following what and how one must be. His minute bastardization of naturals or ideals (as will be discussed later on) could clearly provide an ideological nexus amid his anarchistic mindset and his post-modern orientation. If seen in this context, Foucaults take on the human essence (for the lack of a better term) is slightly existentialist. In this paper, I like to delve further into Foucaults Discipline and Punish by dividing the discussion into four parts. The first part shall emphasize on the short history of the penal system, which could be traced back to 17th century. Through this part, I aim to highlight on the fact that the organic evolution of the penal system had shifted the punishment from physical to mental. The second part will be dedicated to reinforcing the concepts of power and control as the main thrust for the creation of modern social institutions. This will infuse the large role of the elite in the formation of such institutions. The third part shall zero in on Foucaults conceptualization of human freedom as hardly attainable given the flaws in modern day systems today. By having this part, I am to provide a reasoning that encapsulates Foucaults socio-political ideologies Evolution of penalization and the Rise of the Penal System Following the flow of discussion in Discipline and Punish, Foucault opted to start (in a more detailed light) with a detailed discussion on public tortures and deeds that transpired during the17th and 18th centuries. Presenting explicitly the execution of the Damiens, Foucault (1976) narrated, after these tearings with the pincers, Damiens, who cried out profusely, though without swearing, raised his head and looked at himself the same