French philosopher Michel Foucault introduced the panopticon into academic discourse, which has come to represent internalized sense of fear that polices and shapes our behavior and emotions.
English philosopher and social scientist Jeremy Bentham first introduced the concept in 1785 of a prison where guards could observe prisoners without them being able to see watchful gaze (shown above). The mere thought that someone might be watching eventually instilled into prisoners the feeling that they were always being watched, in turn leading to obedience and control over behavior.
The panopticon, for Foucault, became a metaphor for the power relations that ultimately shape all conceptions of human nature. From birth to the grave, our perceptions, emotions, feelings – in short, every aspect of life – is irresistably embedded within a web of power relationships that is inescapable. French intellectuals pioneered a new form of criticism to liberate us from this labyrinthine maze of entanglements and turn contemporary social science on its proverbial head. Any conceptions of absolute truth fundamentally eroded and life, it seems, was on the one hand an illusory construct, while on the other full of limitless opportunity.
From the birthplace of such principles of absolute freedom now come the first laws to punish internet piracy. Seemingly innocuous on the surface – after repeated warnings for illegal downloads one can lose access to the internet for a period of time – the French have laid the foundation for a panoptical monitoring of online behavior. Placed into the hands of watchdog groups, third-parties now have the authority to monitor and an agency will be created to determine and police appropriate use of the internet.
Passed by a narrow margin, the agency will be the first of its kind in the world. As the FTC evaluates possible new laws to regulate social media marketing in the U.S. let’s hope this is not a portend for future restrictions of access to information.
Thanks to my friend Jennifer Green for drawing my attention to this story. Picture of Foucault below.
