INVISIBLE SURVEILLANCE: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF PANOPTHISM IN FOUCAULT

Authors

  • Chidiebere Daniel Anamelechi Federal University of Sao Paulo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63026/acertte.v5i6.247

Keywords:

Panoptism. Monitoring. Discipline.

Abstract

At the fifth conference delivered by Michel Foucault in 1973 at PUC-Rio, gathered in the book Truth and Legal Forms, the concept of panopticism emerges, a central metaphor in his theory of modern forms of power. Inspired by Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon, panaptism describes a logic of continuous, invisible and internalized surveillance that replaces traditional mechanisms of physical coercion. In contemporary societies, power is no longer exercised only in a centralized way, but it spreads through disciplinary devices that shape behaviors and subjectivities in a subtle and constant way. The individual, by internalizing social norms, acts as if he was always being observed, even in the absence of a real vigilante. This disciplinary rationality operates on bodies, habits and ways of life, conforming identities through permanent surveillance. The effectiveness of panaptism is precisely in its subtlety: it induces conformity without the need for direct repression. This reflection becomes even more current in the face of digital technologies and new forms of algorithmic control, in which visibility, exposure and monitoring intensify. Thus, panaptism remains a fundamental theoretical key to understanding the contemporary dynamics between power, knowledge and subjectivity.

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Author Biography

Chidiebere Daniel Anamelechi, Federal University of Sao Paulo

Graduated in Economic Sciences from the Escola Paulista de Política, Economia e Negócios, Federal University of São Paulo.

References

FOUCAULT, Michel. Verdade e formas jurídicas. 4. ed. Rio de Janeiro: NAU Editora, 2009. 160 p.

Published

2025-06-25

How to Cite

Anamelechi, C. D. (2025). INVISIBLE SURVEILLANCE: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF PANOPTHISM IN FOUCAULT. ACERTTE SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL, 5(6), e56247. https://doi.org/10.63026/acertte.v5i6.247

Issue

Section

REVIEWS - TRANSLATIONS - INTERVIEWS - BOOK CHAPTER - SCIENTIFIC REPORTS

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