Key Terms & Concepts
The English philosopher Jeremy Bentham designed this circular architectural structure, conceived as a building with a large tower in the center, manned by a watchman at the top who looks out and monitors subjects residing along the perimeter.
What is the panopticon?
This weapon is considered one of the "greatest icons of subterfuge", helping to end one of the most famous military conflicts in Greek mythology.
What is the Trojan Horse?
This term is used to describe someone considered to be a social deviant, transgressing normal and acceptable behavior; it is derived from the legend of Lady Godiva of the 11th century.
What is a "Peeping Tom"?
This French philosopher argued that surveillance systems could be used as a form of social control that eroded the integrity and autonomy of the individual.
Who is Michel Foucault?
The Greek leader, Odysseus, left an offering at the gates of Troy to this goddess, who is associated with wisdom, war, and crafts.
Who is Minerva?
This was the punishment suffered by the tailor who watched Lady Godiva without her permission.
What is being struck blind, a sightless and penniless future for a tailor?
This concept is defined as the act of secretly watching another, deriving from curiosity, a natural human instinct, but in practice is usually constitutes an invasion of someone else's privacy.
What is voyeurism?
This biblical figure sent spies into Canaan and the city of Jericho in order to scout the "Promised Land" for the Israelites.
Who is Joshua?
This modern form of panopticism is often used in the workplace and on urban streets, assuming the watchman's continuous all-seeing function.
What is closed circuit television (CCTV)?
This describes the gradual widening of the use of a technology or system beyond the purpose for which it was originally intended, especially when this leads to potential invasion of privacy.
What is function creep?
This New Testament figure was infamous for betraying his friend in the garden of Gethsemane.
Who is Judas Iscariot?
This widely watched form of television is a contemporary example of voyeurism, where a person gives approval to be watched for entertainment purposes.
What is reality TV?
This is the automated recognition of individuals by means of collecting identifying records involving the body, typically for the purposes of security. Examples include facial images, fingerprints, iris scans, and DNA collection.
What is biometrics?
This repeated Biblical image or motif relates to the idea that God is an omniscient and omnipresent figure who watches over them at all times.
What is the eyes of God?
This English poet helped make the story of Lady Godiva famous to European readers.
Who is Alfred Lord Tennyson?