Religulous

The ultimate form of control and effective use of the panopticon is best seen through religion. Instead of a guard tower this form of "watching" is done through an invisible force that can never be seen or touched, yet it has set a marker of rules that reward or punish as well as keeps tabs on everyone's life. Unfortunately, it is hard to mistake religion and religious texts as man's way of instilling power and conformity for people and to keep society from erupting into anarchy. Religion was the first use of panopticism and is still the most effective way to instill discipline and the fear of punishment through a set of preordained texts.
In Foucault's Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, he outlines how the panopticon essentially deconstructs the human body and mind into becoming submissive to the rules and commands of those in power (in this sense, God). In his chapter on corrective training he cites, "In discipline, punishment is only one element of a double system: gratification-punishment. And it is this system that operates in the process of training and correction"(180). This is similar to the punishment and reward system of religion. In many faiths and beliefs one who does well by the standard of the system will recieve the prospects of a good life and the potential of reaching a higher state of being. On the contrary, one who disobeys religion and chooses a life of sin, is destined to a life of hardship and punishment down the road. Foucault's system of reward and punishment is identical to religion and it's use of correcting and disciplining.
Even Foucault, in his chapter on Docile bodies makes a direct reference to his theory and to religion. He describes a setting of a classroom and the use of a signal in which the children are supposed to react to. "Whenever a good pupil hears the noise of the signal, he will imagine that he is hearing the voice of the teacher or rather the voice of God himself calling him by his name...the pupil will have to have learnt the code of the signals and respond automatically to them" (166). The signal that the students react to can be attributed to sin, or for not as strong a word, something out of the ordinary. The reaction by the students is similar to the reaction of something seeing something out of the ordinary and perhaps against the proper set of protocol. In short, Foucault proves that there are automated responses taught to us when something occurs. Through religion these responses occur to signals such as to the deadly sins or anyone with a separate faith.

WORKS CITED
Foucault, Michel. "Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Random House: New York. 1979

The Marxist Riddle

No, I cannot imagine a world completely taken over by technology for the simple reason of oversight. Despite the rise of technology and the continuous rise of jobs being replaced by technology, the simple fact remains: Human control will preside above all machines. As we keep making smarter and more efficient technology we will be able to control certain motives residing within these "robots" that will always ensure that power will be given to the humans who make the machines. For example, a chip can be placed within the robots mind to ensure it is never disobedient or attempt to take down it's "master". This is similar in Marxism where the workers are put down through constant propaganda and the idea that they must work the whole and that they just complete there work of they will be replaced - value is given to the product of the work and not the individual. Because of this we can compare blue-collar workers to robots, since most of them know that they are being underpaid in our society yet refuse to take action against larger companies.

Only yesterday AIG took $100 million in bailout money and distributed the emergency income amongst the highest executives - the people's response? nothing. We live in a society where we are comatose objects going to and fro from our "duties" without ever questioning value and a want of something more. For these reasons I believe that those in power will always keep one thing in their mind before any action - their safety of power in relation to their decision-making. Therefore there will never be a society completely run by machines without the oversight of at least one human being controlling the working class.

Hopesfall: "Icarus"

One of the great mythological stories of the past is of Icarus, about the boy who flew to close to the sun and burned his wax wings eventually crashing into the ocean and drowning. The story, since it's inception, has brought about arguments about ambition, desire, and early death. In the song "Icarus" by former band Hopesfall, the lyrics suggest the same principles while at the same time presenting may Freudian ideas, including segments that can be attributed to the id, ego, and super-ego.

Early in the song are the lyrics, "Youth spent but still so young...if you could have her, where would you be tonight?" which tie into the idea of the Oedipus complex as well as the helpless state of the child. The first part of the line suggests that the early development years, which in the story of Icarus were used being trapped inside a maze with only his father, Daedalus, show that his helplessness was also tied into the fact that the child had no means of freedom, which in turn represent the causes for his journey towards the sun; it was as if Icarus was trying to fill a void in his life caused by the lack of youth as a child. The second part of the lyric invites the idea of "her", which could symbolize the mother of the child and in turn suggest as Oedipus complex further. The fact that the child "can have her" symbolizes possession of the "her" away from his father, which causes the super-ego, which is constantly analyzing and in pursuit of perfection, to allow Icarus to fly so high towards the sun without any regard for the ego (reality) which causes him to burn and drown.

One of the lines in the song showcases the true nature of Icarus and a perfect example of the super-ego. Despite being "put back in his place" the narrative of the song implies a desire for something more. The line, "eyes full of stars" not only describes Icarus' drive and desire to satisfy the super-ego, but also the id - his basic functions. Because the child had been trapped for so long and was without a mother, a proper upbringing, and constant attention his basic drives no longer exist. The only drive he showcases is a desire to go as high up as possible and escape the id, and all of reality. In the end, the song shows us that a desire for more without any regard for reality will ultimately cause one to die. But did Icarus die unhappy? I believe that when he came crashing back down to earth, noting could erase the smile on his face.


- Hopesfall Lyrics