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Neoliberalism In Les Miserables Essay

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I am amazed and proud of the level of eloquence and thought in this text by a Korean student at the Design Academy Eindhoven, with little background knowledge in European history or philosophy. Rereading this text I feel blessed and amazed of what one course in philosophy can do, when given to a receptive mind. Question 2) What is Wacquant's biggest objection to Foucault? (Please use the word neoliberalism in your answer) Wacquant’s arguments differ from Foucault’s view of the emergence and functioning of the punitive society in several ways. Among them, I will discuss two things in relation to neoliberalism. First, Wacquant insists that ‘devices for normalization’ in the carceral institution have not spread throughout society. Foucault …show more content…

The story of Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables” can be a great example. What we should consider above all when we deal with a law-breaker is the environment in which the offender is situated. Jean Valjean, who stole bread because of starvation, can be sentenced less when extenuation is considered. However, neoliberalism treats Jean Valjean’s crime in terms of his own incompetence rather than in terms of the social structure where he lives. Neoliberalistic logic towards Jean Valjean looks only at what he did, not at what makes him act that way. What is worse, its logic has tendency to treat people like Jean Valijean as potential criminals even though they do not steal bread. Neoliberalism has its own reason to punish people like Jean Valjean that way: if the government increases social welfare budget to assist low-income group, the policy will help them to stay idle without looking for a job to help themselves. Neoliberalists think that social welfare systems will end up creating moral hazard among people in general. Accordingly, they attribute social evil to the social welfare

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