This essay applies the conceptual framework of the Post-Foucault — most prominently associated with Giorgio Agamben — to re-read the Global IGF 2014 Istanbul 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 Global 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
NETmundial成果 debated at Istanbul in 2014 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 Türkiye reveals how this threshold is drawn.
The conference theme "Connecting Continents for Enhanced Multistakeholder Internet Governance" carries implications beyond a mere policy slogan. It can be positioned as a contemporary reformulation, in digital-era vocabulary, of the kinds of questions Giorgio Agamben problematized.
The form of the Global IGF stands between the principle of national sovereignty and the logic of a global public realm that transcends it.
Digital homo sacer
Giorgio Agamben's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2014 conference. We examine that application below.
1. Application to "NETmundial成果"
Discussion of "NETmundial成果" can be positioned, from the perspective of Giorgio Agamben's Homo sacer and bare life, as a central problematic. In Türkiye's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around NETmundial成果 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 Türkiye'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 "マンデート更新"
Discussion of "マンデート更新" can be positioned, from the perspective of Giorgio Agamben's Homo sacer and bare life, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Türkiye's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around マンデート更新 are particularly at stake.
4. Application to "発展"
Discussion of "発展" can be positioned, from the perspective of Giorgio Agamben's Homo sacer and bare life, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Türkiye's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 発展 are particularly at stake.
5. Application to "国連連携"
Discussion of "国連連携" can be positioned, from the perspective of Giorgio Agamben's Homo sacer and bare life, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Türkiye's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 国連連携 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 Türkiye.
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 Türkiye
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 Global IGF.
- Global IGF 2014 Istanbul 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5月31日 11時18分（記事コンテンツアップ）
— 中澤祐樹
