Może lepiej, gdy patrzą?

Referring to Rafał Nahirny’s Granice kontroli [Limits of Control], this article discusses the implications of some problems raised in the book. An analysis of Jeremy Bentham’s social projects as well as his personal fears (as indicated in his writings) reveals a crack in the figure of this English philosopher. Bentham presented rational, systematic attempts that were intended to address social risks. To this end, he proposed to establish institutions similar to those operating in England already in the 16th century; however, at the same time he sabotaged their implementation. The emphasis that he put on his panopticon solutions to ensure control reveals the entanglement between the rational need for control and irrational anxiety to have someone that stands guard.