This essay applies the conceptual framework of the Post-Foucault — most prominently associated with Giorgio Agamben — to re-read the North American IGF 2016 Washington D.C. conference. Target audience: researchers, doctoral students, policy analysts, and executives.
Introduction: The Problem
In Homo Sacer and State of Exception, Agamben analyzes how contemporary governance normalizes the exception. Cybersecurity discourse and emergency internet shutdowns represent a form of this state of exception.
This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of North American IGF becomes intelligible in its specificity only through the concept of Homo sacer and bare life, and that the concept itself undergoes transformation under the new material of digital space. Describing this mutual transformation is the task of this essay.
Cyber state of exception
選挙とデジタル debated at Washington D.C. in 2016 entails the threshold question of who counts as a citizen to be protected and who as the "bare life" to be surveilled. The operation of related legislation in USA reveals how this threshold is drawn.
Each session's agenda-setting can be read as a contemporary restaging of the Giorgio Agamben-type problematic.
The regional IGF (North American IGF) holds a philosophically distinct position as the intermediate category mediating global universality and national particularity.
Digital homo sacer
Giorgio Agamben's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2016 conference. We examine that application below.
1. Application to "選挙とデジタル"
Discussion of "選挙とデジタル" can be positioned, from the perspective of Giorgio Agamben's Homo sacer and bare life, as a central problematic. In USA's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 選挙とデジタル are particularly at stake.
2. Application to "プライバシー"
Discussion of "プライバシー" can be positioned, from the perspective of Giorgio Agamben's Homo sacer and bare life, as a derivative problematic. In USA's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around プライバシー are particularly at stake.
3. Application to "AI倫理"
Discussion of "AI倫理" can be positioned, from the perspective of Giorgio Agamben's Homo sacer and bare life, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In USA's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around AI倫理 are particularly at stake.
4. Application to "地域協調"
Discussion of "地域協調" can be positioned, from the perspective of Giorgio Agamben's Homo sacer and bare life, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In USA's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 地域協調 are particularly at stake.
5. Application to "越境データ"
Discussion of "越境データ" can be positioned, from the perspective of Giorgio Agamben's Homo sacer and bare life, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In USA's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 越境データ are particularly at stake.
Implications for Executives and Practitioners
The philosophical reflection of this essay is not merely academic. The Giorgio Agamben perspective carries three practical implications for executives operating in USA.
First, it raises the reflexive question of how the firm's business model connects to the logic of Homo sacer and bare life. Second, in dialogue with regulators and civil society, it suggests dimensions of consensus formation that purely technical arguments cannot reach. Third, it indicates that the long-term ground of business legitimacy lies not so much in technical advantage or market share as in participation in such philosophical-normative debates.
Academic Positioning and Future Research
The argument of this essay attempts to graft a philosophical perspective onto the mainstream political-science and legal approaches to internet governance research. Three future research questions follow.
- Verification of the applicability of Giorgio Agamben's framework to other IGF conferences
- Comparative contrast between Post-Foucault and other theoretical traditions
- Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of USA
In particular, the third point has the potential to liberate IGF research from West-centric debate and open a more multi-layered discursive space.
Primary Sources
- IGF Secretariat. Annual Reports of North American IGF.
- North American IGF 2016 Washington D.C. Conference Materials.
- Japan IGF Support Organization. https://japanigf.jp/
- Nakazawa Yuki Blog. https://nkzw.jp/category/igf/
Secondary Sources (Philosophy)
- Works of Giorgio Agamben (representative texts of Post-Foucault)
*This piece belongs to the academic essays (philosophy series). The author's views do not necessarily represent those of any institutional affiliation. Feedback and critique are welcome.*
更新履歴
第1稿投稿 2026年6月7日 20時10分（記事コンテンツアップ）
— 中澤祐樹
