Suchergebnisse

Western conceptions of modernity -- &, by extension, "postmodernity" -- typically conflate various historical processes, such as the development of capitalism & the rise of Enlightenment rationalism. Those conflations are also reflected in the identification of "bourgeois" & "capitalist." However, the cultural & intellectual forms of the French Enlightenment are distinct from the ideologies of capitalism. The Enlightenment belongs to a social, political, & economic formation quite different from capitalist society. These differences affected conceptions of progress, science, & the role of intellectuals. Adapted from the source document.

Discusses punishment in the US. Although the prison of late modernity, the 'supermax' is viewed by many criminologists as a retro model of the original penitentiary, argues that this is mistaken. Supermax imprisonment rejects the very essence of the original penitentiary project, which was based on the individualizing practices of self-control. Instead, today's penal regime has as its purpose objectification, de-individualizing practices of population control. Argues that the current regime of totalitarian incarceration could not possibly be a product of the Enlightenment. (Original abstract - amended)

Berkowitz reviews The Roads to Modernity: The British, French, and American Enlightenments by Gertrude Himmelfarb.

Enlightenment can be considered a form of punishment. In particular, the form of enlightenment that facilitates freedom & that is based on common ethical considerations, though not incompatible with Kant, is outside the boundaries of Kant's common sense. In describing the process by which individuals rectify & censure the actions of others & themselves, enlightenment as a form of punishment becomes evident. This line of thinking, when properly explored, could lead to new thoughts regarding the politics of punishment. When the deplorable condition of not only our prison system, but also our public morality is examined, it becomes obvious that drastic measures, & extreme rethinking, are desperately needed. Unless radical steps are taken to reform the prison system, society as it currently is defined is in danger. 25 References. K. A. Larsen