Discipline is an interesting topic and does not seem discussed enough in the realm of history. The modern mind tends to forget that discipline was a huge part of public life even into the 20th century, not to mention its continued importance in military life. But there is one specific mention of discipline that caught my eye. On page 162 (Nook book) Foucault states that “The [18th century military] camp is the diagram of a power that acts by means of general visibility.” He also states that “In the perfect camp, all power would be exercised solely through exact observation; each gaze would form a part of the overall functioning of power.”
While this is, in fact, true and a well-designed military camp can be intimidating in itself; Foucault seems to ignore the practical application of these camps as well for the purpose of discipline. In 18th century castrametation (the art of measuring, arranging, and ordering camps) camps were arranged so that the troops could step out of their tents and be more or less in the same formation as they would be on the parade ground. In his 1778 document, An Essay on Castrametation, Lewis Lochee wrote “The arrangement of the tents is nearly the same all over Europe; for the general principle is, to dispose them in such a manner as that the troops may form with safety and expedition, in case an enemy should attempt a surprize.” (p. 6)
In an intense discussion about discipline, Foucault manages to overlook the very simplicity of discipline that I think would have given more punch to is argument.
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