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Foucault - The Key Ideas: Foucault and punishment

By Paul Oliver

 

Foucault was very interested in the way in which punishment had changed in different historical periods. He particularly compared and contrasted the type of institutionalized punishment that had existed in the early eighteenth century with that which developed in the modern era.


He pointed out that, in the pre-modern era, punishment was designed to demonstrate the power of the sovereign and often involved severe physical punishment. However, in the modern era, punishment involved much less physical cruelty, but was more psychological in nature. It was generally designed to observe and control the individual, to limit their movements, and in effect to take over all aspects of their lives.

The modern era was characterized, according to Foucault, by detailed record-keeping, so that the state was informed of all aspects of the individual’s life including those occasions when they had behaved contrary to the law. In the modern era, people were often disciplined, according to Foucault, by making them adhere to a series of detailed rules. The prison system now concentrated on the rehabilitation of prisoners, so that they could make a useful contribution to the economy. The emphasis in the modern era was upon ensuring that, as far as possible, people adjusted their lives so that they complied with the accepted norms of society.

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