“In its function, the power to punish is not essentially different from that of curing or educating.”
— Michel Foucault
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Simplified Meaning:
The quote is saying that punishing someone is not really different from helping them get better or teaching them something new. All these actions — punishing, curing, and educating — aim to change a person's behavior. For example, when a child does something wrong and gets a time-out, the goal is to teach them what not to do, just like how teachers show us the right things to do in school or how doctors treat us to make us healthy. They all strive to make a person act better, just using different methods. So, when we punish someone, we should remember that it's like teaching them a lesson or helping them improve, not just making them suffer. Instead of only focusing on the punishment, think about how it can lead to positive change.
Related tags
Control Education Healing Justice Michel foucault Power Punishment Reform Rehabilitation
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