A Janus-faced view of electronic governance Between Foucault and Habermas
Karol Dobrzeniecki
Nicolas Copernicus University
Torun (PL)
Reykjavik, 13th – 14th of July 2007, LEFIS Meeting
The Information Technology Paradigm*
- information is its raw material
- pervasiveness of IT’s effects
- networking logic
- flexibility: the material basis of an informational society can be reprogrammed and retooled
*M.Castells, The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture.Vol 1.:The Rise of the Network Society, Oxford 2000, p. 69.
Why a theoretical dimension of the electronic governance?
-to avoid a technological determinism
-to provide a conteptual framework
-to identify new kind of values and risks
Two visions: Habermas vs. Foucault
Habermas: Ideal speech situation
- The requirement of generality- Autonomy- Ideal role taking- Power neutrality- Transparence
The unconstrained, unifying, consensus-bringing force of argumentative speech
Can the ideal speech situation occur in the cyberspace?
- New digital tools for a civil society
- Electronic government and self-government
- Access to public information
- Internet Standard Making Process
Foucault: disciplinary power
- hierarchical observation- normalising judgements and examination- micro-penalties and rewards- more effective, less repressive control - no central controlling agency
Bentham's Panopticon is an ideal architectural model of modern disciplinary power. Its principle may be
universally applied.
Potential for disciplinary projects in the digital age
• Digital Rights Management Systems
• Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems
• Radio Frequency Identification
• Video-surveillance cameras
Conclusion:
There is a very thin border between:
-the-perfect-knowledge-society project
and
the-perfect-knowledge-about-a-society project
How to keep the balance?
- technological transparency (open standards)
- taking care of the public domain
- understanding of the new modes of regulation
