Docile Bodies; The West Point Cadet
Foucault discusses the idea of docile bodies in his piece Discipline and Punish. Docile bodies are bodies that can be manipulated, subjected, used and transformed. Foucault begins his piece by describing soldiers of the late 18th century as docile bodies. Common men of the 18th century were able to be made and molded, created and shaped into the soldiers as how we knew them to be. Foucault states “The classical age discovered the body as an object and target of power.” (Foucault) However, the docile body isn’t just something that can be molded and formed but also as an object of control. The disciplinary power exerted over the docile body is comprised of three parts; the scale of control which treats the body as parts rather than as a whole. The object of control is manipulation of movements through repetition and exercise and modality, uninterrupted supervision of the docile body. This isn’t just true for soldiers of the 18th century, but even today in our modern United States when we look at military schools, such as West Point Academy where young men and women are molded into officers of the United States military.
The 'You Tube' clip that I’ve included about West Point academy highlights the way docile bodies can be transformed through the disciplinary power exerted over the cadets by the academy. At the introduction to the video, the narrator says that West Point is “preparing cadets to become army officers who will lead, using strength of mind and body.” The narrator also says that West Point “will shape you.” Basically discussing how West Point is able to mold young men and women into future leaders of our country. Analyzing West Point Academy through the idea of Foucault’s ‘docile body’ theory is quite interesting because West Point Academy combines the rigorous training and discipline of soldiers, with the discipline of education as well. Both institutions; the educational institution and the institution of the United States military are great to analyze through the eyes of Foucault. Both of these institutions apply a certain amount of control on each person’s individual ‘body.’ When these two institutions combine, in the case of West Point Academy, we see the docile bodies of the cadets become manipulated and formed over the course of their time at the academy. In applying the three major disciples of power to the docile body of the West Point cadets we see each part hold true. Scale of control is seen; how the body is treated as parts rather than a whole. There are many different aspects of education and training at West Point; many different parts of the body are exercised in different ways; for example the mind is exercised in the classroom, and different parts of the body are shaped and exercised outside of the classroom. The object of control, such as manipulating the body through repetition and exercise is seen as well, exercise of the mind and body as separate entities but which combine to create the whole. Then we also see modality; the uninterrupted supervision of the cadet’s at West Point. There is much organization of time and space at West Point academy.
With this analyzation of West Point Academy with Foucault’s ideas of docile bodies and disciplinary power, it’s easy to see a connection between the concept and the academy. Foucault’s ‘docile body’ is said to not only be molded and transformed, but ultimately improved, which is the case at West Point where young men and women go on to be leaders and officers in the United States military. The disciple and ‘power’ exerted over the cadet’s in the military school is exercised externally and internally through rigorous exercise, drills, education and team activities and sports. In this sense we can see a strong connection between education, the military and Foucault’s ‘docile bodies.’
Foucault discusses the idea of docile bodies in his piece Discipline and Punish. Docile bodies are bodies that can be manipulated, subjected, used and transformed. Foucault begins his piece by describing soldiers of the late 18th century as docile bodies. Common men of the 18th century were able to be made and molded, created and shaped into the soldiers as how we knew them to be. Foucault states “The classical age discovered the body as an object and target of power.” (Foucault) However, the docile body isn’t just something that can be molded and formed but also as an object of control. The disciplinary power exerted over the docile body is comprised of three parts; the scale of control which treats the body as parts rather than as a whole. The object of control is manipulation of movements through repetition and exercise and modality, uninterrupted supervision of the docile body. This isn’t just true for soldiers of the 18th century, but even today in our modern United States when we look at military schools, such as West Point Academy where young men and women are molded into officers of the United States military.
The 'You Tube' clip that I’ve included about West Point academy highlights the way docile bodies can be transformed through the disciplinary power exerted over the cadets by the academy. At the introduction to the video, the narrator says that West Point is “preparing cadets to become army officers who will lead, using strength of mind and body.” The narrator also says that West Point “will shape you.” Basically discussing how West Point is able to mold young men and women into future leaders of our country. Analyzing West Point Academy through the idea of Foucault’s ‘docile body’ theory is quite interesting because West Point Academy combines the rigorous training and discipline of soldiers, with the discipline of education as well. Both institutions; the educational institution and the institution of the United States military are great to analyze through the eyes of Foucault. Both of these institutions apply a certain amount of control on each person’s individual ‘body.’ When these two institutions combine, in the case of West Point Academy, we see the docile bodies of the cadets become manipulated and formed over the course of their time at the academy. In applying the three major disciples of power to the docile body of the West Point cadets we see each part hold true. Scale of control is seen; how the body is treated as parts rather than a whole. There are many different aspects of education and training at West Point; many different parts of the body are exercised in different ways; for example the mind is exercised in the classroom, and different parts of the body are shaped and exercised outside of the classroom. The object of control, such as manipulating the body through repetition and exercise is seen as well, exercise of the mind and body as separate entities but which combine to create the whole. Then we also see modality; the uninterrupted supervision of the cadet’s at West Point. There is much organization of time and space at West Point academy.
With this analyzation of West Point Academy with Foucault’s ideas of docile bodies and disciplinary power, it’s easy to see a connection between the concept and the academy. Foucault’s ‘docile body’ is said to not only be molded and transformed, but ultimately improved, which is the case at West Point where young men and women go on to be leaders and officers in the United States military. The disciple and ‘power’ exerted over the cadet’s in the military school is exercised externally and internally through rigorous exercise, drills, education and team activities and sports. In this sense we can see a strong connection between education, the military and Foucault’s ‘docile bodies.’