Panopticon; or, The Inspection-House

E91448

Panopticon; or, The Inspection-House is Jeremy Bentham’s influential late-18th-century treatise outlining a circular prison design that enables constant surveillance as a means of social control and institutional efficiency.

Aliases (1)

Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf book
treatise
aim maximization of efficiency
reduction of supervision costs
reform of prisoners
architecturalFeature backlit cells visible from center
blinded or screened inspection tower
ring of cells around a central tower
author Jeremy Bentham
countryOfOrigin Great Britain NERFINISHED
critiques existing prison administration of Bentham’s time
discipline legal theory
penology
genre political philosophy
utilitarian philosophy
hasAlternativeTitle Panopticon
hasForm series of letters
historicalPeriod Enlightenment
influencedConcept modern surveillance theory
influencedThinker Michel Foucault
intendedEffect deterrence of misconduct
internalization of surveillance
standardization of behavior
keyConcept central inspection tower
constant surveillance
disciplinary power
one-way visibility
self-regulation of inmates
language English
mainSubject institutional efficiency
panopticon
prison design
social control
surveillance
philosophicalBasis utilitarianism
proposedStructureShape circular
proposedStructureType prison
proposes contract-based private management of prisons
proposesRelationshipBetween observer and observed
proposesUseIn hospitals
prisons
schools
workhouses
publicationCentury 18th century
relatedWork Discipline and Punish
timePeriodDescribed late 18th century penal reform debates

Referenced by (2)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Panopticon; or, The Inspection-House ("Panopticon")
hasAlternativeTitle
Jeremy Bentham
notableWork

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