Tolerated illegality was a structural condition of Ancien Régime society
Evidence
Roughly speaking, one might say that, under the Ancien Régime each of the different social strata had its margin of tolerated illegality: the non-application of the rule, the non-observance of the innumerable edicts or ordinances were a condition of the political and economic functioning of society. This feature may not have been peculiar to the Ancien Régime. But illegality was so deeply rooted and so necessary to the life of each social stratum, that it had in a sense its own coherence and economy. — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 138
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Popular illegality formed a continuum running from tolerated evasion to outright crime — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 139; Bourgeois economic growth depended on tolerated popular illegalities — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 140; Ambivalence toward criminals marked the popular attitude to illegality — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 139 (+7 more)
Related
- Popular illegality formed a continuum running from tolerated evasion to outright crime (similarity 0.90)
- Bourgeois economic growth depended on tolerated popular illegalities (similarity 0.89)
- Society tolerated Jews by tolerating crime, not by revising its prejudice (similarity 0.87)
- Eighteenth-century popular illegality shifted from attacking rights to attacking property (similarity 0.87)
- Poorer classes would revolt to defend their tolerated illegalities (similarity 0.83)
- Capitalism recast tolerated popular customs as criminal property theft (similarity 0.83)
- Ambivalence toward criminals marked the popular attitude to illegality (similarity 0.81)
- Rising wealth raises tolerance for violence but intolerance for property crime (similarity 0.80)
- Elite circles reframe as fashionable vice what the masses punish as crime. (similarity 0.79)
Broader Connections
- Popular illegality formed a continuum running from tolerated evasion to outright crime
#expands(0.90) — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 139 - Bourgeois economic growth depended on tolerated popular illegalities
#expands(0.85) — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 140 - Capitalism recast tolerated popular customs as criminal property theft
#expands(0.85) — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 143 - Ambivalence toward criminals marked the popular attitude to illegality
#expands(0.80) — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 139 - Penal reform succeeded by managing illegalities differentially, not eliminating them
#exemplifies(0.80) — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 144 - Eighteenth-century popular illegality shifted from attacking rights to attacking property
#expands(0.75) — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 141