medium · GMAT Verbal

Passage: The 'panopticon,' a prison design proposed by Jeremy Bentham, served as a potent metaphor for Michel Foucault in his analysis of modern disciplinary power. The design featured a circular structure with a central observation tower from which a single guard could observe all prisoners without them knowing if they were being watched. Foucault argued that this 'omnipresent' but invisible gaze compelled prisoners to internalize the guard’s authority, leading to self-regulation and 'docile bodies.' For Foucault, the panopticon represented the transition from sovereign power—which relied on public spectacles of punishment—to disciplinary power, which operates through constant surveillance and the normalization of behavior. This mechanism is not limited to prisons; Foucault suggested it is mirrored in schools, factories, and hospitals, where individuals are continuously monitored, categorized, and molded to fit social expectations. The author of the passage mentions 'docile bodies' (line 6) in order to

1. Describe the intended psychological result of internalized surveillance.
2. Argue that sovereign power is more effective than disciplinary power.
3. Criticize the guard's inability to maintain constant visual contact with every prisoner.
4. Demonstrate that prisons are unique in their ability to mold human behavior.
5. Illustrate the physical abuse suffered by prisoners in Bentham's design.

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