{"id":10876,"date":"2007-11-12T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2007-11-12T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nkzw.jp\/igf\/2007\/11\/12\/en-philo-igf-2007-rio-foucault-governmentality\/"},"modified":"2007-11-12T21:00:00","modified_gmt":"2007-11-12T12:00:00","slug":"en-philo-igf-2007-rio-foucault-governmentality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nkzw.jp\/igf\/2007\/11\/12\/en-philo-igf-2007-rio-foucault-governmentality\/","title":{"rendered":"Foucauldian Governmentality on Global IGF 2007 Rio de Janeiro \u2014 Power\/knowledge dispositif and subjectivation"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This essay applies the conceptual framework of the Post-structuralism<\/strong> \u2014 most prominently associated with Michel Foucault<\/strong> \u2014 to re-read the Global IGF 2007 Rio de Janeiro conference. Target audience: researchers, doctoral students, policy analysts, and executives.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Introduction: The Problem<\/h2>\n

Read through Foucault's "Security, Territory, Population", the Global IGF appears as a laboratory for contemporary governmental technologies \u2014 neither sovereign nor disciplinary power, but the management of populations of users.<\/p>\n

This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of Global IGF becomes intelligible in its specificity only through the concept of Power\/knowledge dispositif and subjectivation<\/strong>, and that the concept itself undergoes transformation under the new material of digital space. Describing this mutual transformation is the task of this essay.<\/p>\n

\"Analytical<\/p>\n

Governance as governmental dispositif<\/h2>\n

The themes \u2014 \u30a2\u30af\u30bb\u30b9, \u91cd\u8981\u306a\u30a4\u30f3\u30bf\u30fc\u30cd\u30c3\u30c8\u8cc7\u6e90, \u591a\u69d8\u6027 \u2014 debated at Rio de Janeiro in 2007 each presuppose a particular configuration of knowledge and power. The multistakeholder discourse functions as a normative apparatus that shapes subjects into "responsible internet users" and "appropriate platform operators" through voluntary consent rather than coercion.<\/p>\n

The conference theme "Internet Governance for Development" carries implications beyond a mere policy slogan. It can be positioned as a contemporary reformulation, in digital-era vocabulary, of the kinds of questions Michel Foucault problematized.<\/p>\n

The form of the Global IGF stands between the principle of national sovereignty and the logic of a global public realm that transcends it.<\/p>\n

The constitution of the internet subject<\/h2>\n

Michel Foucault's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2007 conference. We examine that application below.<\/p>\n

1. Application to "\u30a2\u30af\u30bb\u30b9"<\/h3>\n

Discussion of "\u30a2\u30af\u30bb\u30b9" can be positioned, from the perspective of Michel Foucault's Power\/knowledge dispositif and subjectivation<\/strong>, as a central problematic. In Brazil's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around \u30a2\u30af\u30bb\u30b9 are particularly at stake.<\/p>\n

2. Application to "\u91cd\u8981\u306a\u30a4\u30f3\u30bf\u30fc\u30cd\u30c3\u30c8\u8cc7\u6e90"<\/h3>\n

Discussion of "\u91cd\u8981\u306a\u30a4\u30f3\u30bf\u30fc\u30cd\u30c3\u30c8\u8cc7\u6e90" can be positioned, from the perspective of Michel Foucault's Power\/knowledge dispositif and subjectivation<\/strong>, as a derivative problematic. In Brazil's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around \u91cd\u8981\u306a\u30a4\u30f3\u30bf\u30fc\u30cd\u30c3\u30c8\u8cc7\u6e90 are particularly at stake.<\/p>\n

3. Application to "\u591a\u69d8\u6027"<\/h3>\n

Discussion of "\u591a\u69d8\u6027" can be positioned, from the perspective of Michel Foucault's Power\/knowledge dispositif and subjectivation<\/strong>, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Brazil's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around \u591a\u69d8\u6027 are particularly at stake.<\/p>\n

4. Application to "\u958b\u653e\u6027"<\/h3>\n

Discussion of "\u958b\u653e\u6027" can be positioned, from the perspective of Michel Foucault's Power\/knowledge dispositif and subjectivation<\/strong>, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Brazil's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around \u958b\u653e\u6027 are particularly at stake.<\/p>\n

5. Application to "\u30bb\u30ad\u30e5\u30ea\u30c6\u30a3"<\/h3>\n

Discussion of "\u30bb\u30ad\u30e5\u30ea\u30c6\u30a3" can be positioned, from the perspective of Michel Foucault's Power\/knowledge dispositif and subjectivation<\/strong>, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Brazil's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around \u30bb\u30ad\u30e5\u30ea\u30c6\u30a3 are particularly at stake.<\/p>\n

\"Philosophical<\/p>\n

Implications for Executives and Practitioners<\/h2>\n

The philosophical reflection of this essay is not merely academic. The Michel Foucault perspective carries three practical implications for executives operating in Brazil.<\/p>\n

First, it raises the reflexive question of how the firm's business model connects to the logic of Power\/knowledge dispositif and subjectivation<\/strong>. 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.<\/p>\n

Academic Positioning and Future Research<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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  1. Verification of the applicability of Michel Foucault's framework to other IGF conferences<\/li>\n
  2. Comparative contrast between Post-structuralism<\/strong> and other theoretical traditions<\/li>\n
  3. Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of Brazil<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In particular, the third point has the potential to liberate IGF research from West-centric debate and open a more multi-layered discursive space.<\/p>\n

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    Primary Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n