Progress and Regress
A persistent irony in Foucault’s work is that history is not always progressive. That means things don’t always “get better” as time goes by. Relatedly, things that may look more progressive can actually be regressive in other ways. Take, for instance, the large-scale transformation Foucault describes from sovereign to disciplinary power. On the one hand, this may seem to mark progress towards a more civilized society, because it leaves behind the grotesque public displays of torture. But as Foucault argues, disciplinary power isn’t necessarily “better.” In fact, it has its own troublesome aspects, because it disciplines people at all times and makes power all-pervasive and more difficult to interrupt than when it was located in the figure of the sovereign. Thus, instead of talking about things getting better, we need to talk about how things are simply different, how power operates in particular ways at particular times, and the different opportunities and challenges each way provides.
Positive and Negative Power
In the part on “Panopticism,” Foucault notes that what may seem at first a negative function of power is also, ironically, a positive function. Here, positive and negative don’t mean good or bad, but whether something is being produced or destroyed. Making a cake is positive, because the cake comes into being; eating a cake is negative, because it is about getting rid of the cake. Foucault talks about punishment seeming negative, because it is about eliminating bad behavior, but also having a positive dimension. In particular, discipline has a positive function of creating “productive citizens.” The aim is not just to destroy bad behaviors, but to use the pervasive fear of punishment to create good people who are constantly contributing to society and acting in proper ways.
Observing and Being Observed
One irony of the rise of disciplinary power, in which power is distributed throughout society and not just located in the sovereign, is that everyone is simultaneously wielding power and being subjected to power. This is because we are always watching and judging others (exercising power) and in turn thinking we are being watched and judged ourselves (being subjected to power). That means everyone is under pressure to submit to social norms, and in fact, these norms are produced out of the fact that there is this sense of observing and being observed at all times.
