- “To say all in one word, it will be found applicable, I think, without exception, to all establishments whatsoever, in which, within a space not too large to be covered or commanded by buildings, a number of persons are meant to be kept under inspection.” Bentham, 6
“The panoptic arrangement provides the formula for this generalization. It programmes, at the level of an elementary and easily transferable mechanism, the basic functioning of a society penetrated through and through with disciplinary mechanisms.” Foucault 41
In both pieces of writing, Foucault and Bentham discuss the applications of the panopticon. They both agree that it would be effective in surveilling people within the panopticon, and that constant surveillance will likely cause more of the desired behaviors in those being surveilled. For example, a student being watched is less likely to cheat and more likely to apply themselves to their work. However, Bentham and Foucault’s writings differ when talking about the scope of the idea. Bentham proposed the panopticon as a building to be used for the insane, sick, imprisoned, workers, or students. Those purposes are what the panopticon was designed for, and Bentham does not try to expand the scope of his idea. However, Foucault writes about a broadened spectrum of applications for the panopticon, specifically in regular society. He argues that the idea of the panopticon can be applied in other places or in broader society, with the same results of preventing undesirable behaviors.
2. I think that the idea of the panopticon, while originally meant to be architectural, can be expanded into other aspects of life. I also think that there are many surveillant systems in our societies right now that sort of act as panopticons. Like how people won’t say problematic things for fear of being cancelled. This is the type of self-policing that the panopticon was originally intended to facilitate, but it happens every day in the real world.