>[!abstract] >The Panopticon, originally conceived by Jeremy Bentham in the late 18th century, is an architectural design for prisons in which a central observation tower allows guards to watch inmates without being seen themselves. The design creates a condition of permanent visibility in which prisoners must assume they are always being monitored, thereby internalizing discipline. Later theorized by Michel Foucault, the Panopticon became a metaphor for modern systems of surveillance, control, and normalization, extending beyond prisons to schools, workplaces, and digital environments. It illustrates how power can operate through psychological self-regulation rather than direct force. >[!related] >- **North** (upstream): [[Surveillance studies]], [[Utilitarianism]] >- **West** (similar): — >- **East** (different): [[Synopticon]] >- **South** (downstream): [[Disciplinary society]]