Reference no: EM133854867

Question

What makes the public comply with laws is a complex interaction of morals, ethics, and the pragmatic advantages of social cooperation. Kant holds that reasoned knowledge of one's obligation in a civic position generates obedience. People follow not only because of religious conviction or social pressure but also because logical people understand rules as essential requirements for a secure, educated society. Kant stresses this logical obedience: one must be free openly to examine and criticize the laws even when they are personally following. By underlining that compliance also results from internalized social norms and the power society allocates to institutions, Foucault broadens Kant's logic. Stated differently, compliance with laws results in part from the subtle influences of society expectations and norms, which motivate people to conform freely. For Foucault, the contemporary person is shaped by institutional systems-schools, churches, medical and legal systems-that generate a shared sense of moral obligation and responsibility as well as by social acceptance and disciplined by means.