A panopticon favors control.
Before proceeding to determine the meaning of the word panopticon, it is interesting to establish that it is a term that derives from Greek. And it is the result of the sum of three components of said language:
• Bread , which can be translated as “everything.”
• The noun opsis , which is equivalent to “view.”
• The suffix -tikos , which is used to indicate “relative to”.
What is a panopticon
A panopticon is a construction whose design allows the entire interior surface to be observed from a single point . This type of structures, therefore, facilitates the control of those inside the building .
The creation of this design is attributed to Jeremy Bentham , a British philosopher who imagined a prison in which all inmates are under the guard's field of vision, without the prisoners knowing whether observation is taking place at all times.
Bentham 's original panopticon contemplated the installation of a tower in the center of the construction so that the watchman could observe everything that was happening in the building, which, in turn, had to be divided into different cells. The key to the panopticon was that, since the inmates could not know when they were being watched by the guard, the guard could be distracted or take time off.
The panopticons went from prisons to industries, schools and other areas.
Its principles
Therefore, starting from that meaning we can say that panopticon is in relation to or is based on a series of beliefs, ideas or maxims like these:
• The essence of what Greek theater architecture was.
• Polyfunctionality, which is the need that exists in various organizations or institutions that, in order for them to function correctly, it is essential that observation be the central axis.
• The constant existence of a look.
In addition to all of the above, the prison or panopticon developed through Bentham's theory would have other interesting peculiarities:
• The light comes through what are the exterior windows of the cells and from there it is directed towards the central tower, which is equipped with lattices. In this way, the person who is in the ring can see the inmates even against the backlight, but they, due to the lattices, could not see her.
• The tower rooms have zigzag walls.
• The central tower stands as a symbol of power and control.
• Silence is what must reign throughout the panopticon.
The panopticon according to Foucault
For the French philosopher Michel Foucault , the concept of panopticon extended from prisons to other facilities, such as schools or industries. The panopticon, in this sense, became a technique of control .
If we take the design of the panopticon, we find a circular construction with a patio and the watchtower in the center. The “ring” , in turn, must be divided into cells with access to the outside and inside, so that the guard can observe through it. With various variations, the divisions of the panopticon can house everything from inmates convicted of crimes to children taking classes, to workers manufacturing something.