Each inspector is himself under inspection, losing his omnipresence at moments of visible action

Evidence

By means of the lower part of this zone, the inspector of the gallery attached may himself be inspected by his superiors from the lodge: reciprocity will be prevented by the advantage in height given to the commanding station. He may also be relieved at any time; and whenever the windows of the gallery are thrown open for air, the lodge succeeds, in a manner of course, to its inspection-powers; the view brightening of itself at the time when a view particularly clear is more particularly wanted. So, likewise, when the inspector in the gallery is obliged to show himself at any particular spot; for instance, by opening the door of one of the cells, losing thereby his omnipresence for the time. — Jeremy Bentham, The Panopticon Writings, 316

Categorization

• XREF: Direct textual support for the reading that the panopticon is recursive — the inspector trades omniscience for vulnerability the moment he acts visibly. Mirrors the telescreen’s total institutional penetration in Nineteen Eighty-Four. — connects to: Apparent omnipresence of the inspector sustains discipline — Jeremy Bentham, The Panopticon Writings, 33; Internalized discipline makes the human inspector functionally superfluous — Jeremy Bentham, The Panopticon Writings, 59; The panoptic inspector must hide for fear his fictional divinity will be exposed — Jeremy Bentham, The Panopticon Writings, 81 (+1 more)

Related

• Apparent omnipresence of the inspector sustains discipline (similarity 0.87)
• The panoptic inspector must hide for fear his fictional divinity will be exposed (similarity 0.84)
• An opaque dummy object substitutes for the inspector in the lantern undetected (similarity 0.84)
• Panoptic power derives from invisible omnipresence rather than real presence (similarity 0.82)
• Panoptic power rests on central inspection plus unseen watching (similarity 0.81)
• The inspector’s invisibility is practically achievable despite incompatible ideal conditions (similarity 0.80)
• Internalized discipline makes the human inspector functionally superfluous (similarity 0.79)
• The power to not-see is constitutive of seeing itself (similarity 0.79)
• Constant visibility captures subjects better than darkness and enclosure ever did (similarity 0.78)