panopticon
(en)
a type of building designed by English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the late 18th century; allows all (pan-) inmates to be observed (-opticon) by a single watchman without the inmates being able to tell whether or not they are being watched
Michel Foucault popularized this metaphor. The panopticon was Jeremy Bentham's prison design in which cells were arranged in a circle around a central guard tower so that all prisoners were put under constant surveillance with maximum efficiency by a small number of guards.
notable
7 years, 2 months ago