The Bentham Brothers’ Panopticon. A mythical monster or a useful project?

Abstract

The article analyzes the concept of the Panopticon and panoptic space, developed in the 18^th century by Samuel and Jeremy Bentham. The popular image of the “mechanism” is presented as one of the “monsters” of dystopian thought, similar to “Big Brother”. Contrary to the original idea, the Panopticon and panoptic architecture in general have become synonymous with the exploitation and suppression of the will of human beings. The historical context of the appearance of the Panopticon concept and its philosophical core are considered. There are two “insights” that reveal the immanent connection of two elements of social life – the power and knowledge. In the concept of the Panopticon, the role of the cognizing gaze in the named connection, as an act of domination and control, was captured and reflected. In an era of accomplished digital expansion, when surveillance practices have become a mass phenomenon, the Panopticon can and should be rethought. It is shown that, contrary to popular beliefs, the “insights” of the Panopticon can become a “road map” for informational civilization. A culture, in which the imperative gaze has become a mass phenomenon, needs its own “panoptic” tools that can protect people from the abuse of power by the anti-panoptic overseers of the 21^st century.