This essay applies the conceptual framework of the Political Philosophy / Aesthetics — most prominently associated with Jacques Rancière — to re-read the Baltic IGF 2023 Tallinn conference. Target audience: researchers, doctoral students, policy analysts, and executives.
Introduction: The Problem
Rancière conceives politics as reconfiguring the distribution of the sensible. Baltic IGF is a practice of redrawing the boundary of who can speak and what registers as an agenda in international discussion.
This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of Baltic IGF becomes intelligible in its specificity only through the concept of Distribution of the sensible, and that the concept itself undergoes transformation under the new material of digital space. Describing this mutual transformation is the task of this essay.
Redistributing the visible/audible
Each time the voice of Estonia, of the Global South, of youth, or of indigenous peoples becomes audible at IGF, the distribution of the sensible is reconfigured. This is what Rancière calls "the moment of politics."
Each session's agenda-setting can be read as a contemporary restaging of the Jacques Rancière-type problematic.
The regional IGF (Baltic IGF) holds a philosophically distinct position as the intermediate category mediating global universality and national particularity.
The part of those who have no part
Jacques Rancière's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2023 conference. We examine that application below.
1. Application to "AI"
Discussion of "AI" can be positioned, from the perspective of Jacques Rancière's Distribution of the sensible, as a central problematic. In Estonia's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around AI are particularly at stake.
2. Application to "電子政府"
Discussion of "電子政府" can be positioned, from the perspective of Jacques Rancière's Distribution of the sensible, as a derivative problematic. In Estonia's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 電子政府 are particularly at stake.
3. Application to "ハイブリッド戦"
Discussion of "ハイブリッド戦" can be positioned, from the perspective of Jacques Rancière's Distribution of the sensible, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Estonia's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around ハイブリッド戦 are particularly at stake.
4. Application to "地域協調"
Discussion of "地域協調" can be positioned, from the perspective of Jacques Rancière's Distribution of the sensible, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Estonia'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 Jacques Rancière's Distribution of the sensible, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Estonia'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 Jacques Rancière perspective carries three practical implications for executives operating in Estonia.
First, it raises the reflexive question of how the firm's business model connects to the logic of Distribution of the sensible. 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 Jacques Rancière's framework to other IGF conferences
- Comparative contrast between Political Philosophy / Aesthetics and other theoretical traditions
- Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of Estonia
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 Baltic IGF.
- Baltic IGF 2023 Tallinn Conference Materials.
- Japan IGF Support Organization. https://japanigf.jp/
- Nakazawa Yuki Blog. https://nkzw.jp/category/igf/
Secondary Sources (Philosophy)
- Works of Jacques Rancière (representative texts of Political Philosophy / Aesthetics)
*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4日 21時45分（記事コンテンツアップ）
— 中澤祐樹
