CJ2

What example does Foucault use to illustrate public execution and torture in the 17th-18th centuries?

The 1757 execution of a condemned man, involving public torture, mutilation, and death as a spectacle to warn society.

What was the primary purpose of public punishment according to Foucault?

To demonstrate the sovereign’s power over life and death, reinforcing state control and deterring others.

How does Foucault describe the shift in punishment from the 17th century onward?

A transition from violent, physical punishment (targeting the body) to "invisible" discipline (targeting the soul and mind).

What factors contributed to the shift toward invisible punishment?

Broader social, political, and economic changes, including the rise of the modern state and efficient social control methods.

What characterizes the modern penal system, according to Foucault?

Regulation and control through surveillance, discipline, and systems like prisons, rather than physical torture.

How is the body controlled in modern institutions, per Foucault?

Through systematic internalization of discipline via surveillance, rules, and normalization in prisons, schools, hospitals, and the military.

What key transition does Foucault establish in Chapter 1?

The shift from public, physical punishment to private control of behavior and the soul, forming the foundation of modern disciplinary society.

What does Foucault mean by "corporal punishment"?

Physical punishment directed at the body, such as torture or execution, used in pre-modern eras.

Define "normalization" in Foucault's analysis.

The process of enforcing societal norms and behaviors through systematic control in institutions like prisons and schools.

What role does surveillance play in modern discipline?

It enables constant monitoring to regulate behavior, replacing public spectacles with subtle, pervasive control mechanisms.