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Originally Posted by andyjay729
Sorry to bring up Madoka again, but it's interesting that you brought up the Panopticon there. Sybil can be thought of a, umm, less fuzzy version of the Panopticon. The Panopticon was also the brainchild of utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham.
And we probably know which Urobuchi character was also a devoted utilitarian. (Makishima of course also shares that character's "ends justify the means" philosophy.)
I guess Gen has a bit of a beef with utilitarianism.
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My familiarity with the Panopticon was from Foucault.
Well it doesn't really... uh... fulfill the exact definition, but considering how the people are aware that they're every move and emotion is observed by some pseudo-omniscient observer based on an unknown location, it's similar to the Panopticon in that respect.
But it's this similarity that really brings to light one of the darker themes of the show: that it's entirely possible that the entire reason that crime and malevolent intentions in the society are eliminated entirely through fear anf not by trust in the system. It becomes increasingly clear that the dark intentions that can easily spring forth from the hearts of men are merely suppressed in the human heart due to fear of an ever present power that can exact its justice by its ability to see into your... mind, and you don't know where or how to fight back.
But when the mighty observer, judge, jury and executioner loses its ability to observe and to judge, it can no longer be the jury and the executioner. Thus the fear is gone, and the hearts of darkness are unleashed.