Modern Anglo-American philosophy and jurisprudence has been greatly influenced by the theories of the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham. Educated individuals are aware of his contributions to the growth of utilitarianism, cementing many of the contemporary world’s moral and ethical ideals. At the heart of Bentham’s humanist and Enlightenment concepts is one of the most famous philosophical metaphors in modern thought: the Panopticon. It is an architectural and organizational model for prisons which focuses on a type of surveillance where inmates are perpetually cognizant of being watched.
 |
| Image source: commons.wikimedia.org |
The design, of course, goes beyond the physical features of the place. A central inspection tower is surrounded by cells where it is impossible to know if one is being watched. Many thinkers, including Bentham himself, planned and applied conceptually the theory of the Panopticon to explain the effective control exercised by many institutions to its members, from schools to hospitals and offices. There are obvious parallels to the visuality of that late 18th-century method to the modern CCTV. In the United States, the technology has come a long way since the early days of the Vericon in the late 1940s. Closed-circuit television eventually developed ways of recording surveillances to relieve the system of constant monitoring.
New technologies are emerging that could even be more efficient and robust than CCTVs, although not all of them are exactly legal. The internet and its possibilities are continually being regulated so that it won’t be used for unlawful purposes. Policing of the self happens when one feels that every single action is being observed and recorded. The Panopticon is an interesting take-off point to understand human behavior and the physical and psychological development and connections of communities.
 |
| Image source: pixabay.com |
Adam Quirk is an award-winning criminal justice professional with over 15 years of experience in investigations, regulatory compliance, team leadership and supervision, program initiation and development, and coalition-building. Currently a licensed private investigator, he had been involved with both the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. To learn more about his professional work, visit this page.
