Is transparency a good thing?

Transparency is one of the major central ideas in The Circle. From the glass walls and elevators in the Circle's office, to the philosophical theories of "truth" held by the Circle's founders, there are references to transparency on almost every page.

As the book goes on, this "utopian" society built on "truth through knowledge" begins to infringe on the rights and privacy of those who don't want to partake in it. This leads to several people getting hurt, and causes Mae, the main character, to look closely at the conflicting ideals of transparency vs. privacy.

When I first finished reading the book, I thought my views on this debate between transparency and privacy were pretty clear. Partly due to the surprising ending, and in some ways a result of growing up in a society where individual rights and privacy are so highly valued, my immediate response was strong. I couldn't imagine why people would ever give themselves up to being examined and watched by the whole world 24/7. 

However, after getting over the initial disbelief at the way the book ended (I won't give anything away, in case anyone wants to read it...), I started thinking about the core beliefs held by the Circle's founders-- some of which actually made sense. 

So, since my opinions on this issue come in waves, with various streams of thought that end up running in circles (I change my mind too often to keep track), I've decided to make a pros and cons list that shows both sides of the argument. 

Arguments for a "transparent" society:
(Many of these are the core beliefs of the Circle's founders, particularly Eamon Bailey.)

• In a transparent society, all knowledge is free. Knowledge brings you closer to the "truth." All humans have a right to know the truth. Therefore, all humans have a right to access the tools to gain any knowledge they wish.
• If every action made by a person is recorded or visible, all crimes, kidnappings, immorality, and corruption could be eliminated.
• If everyone has access to everything, people can be truly equal.
• All secrets are lies, which only distort reality in a way which hurts both parties involved. "Secrets are cancerous when kept within us, but harmless when they're out in the world" (Eggers 289).
• If everyone can see everything (even things that may be considered embarrassing in today's society), there will is no shame in any action except those that are immoral or dangerous.
• Transparency breeds productivity, therefore helping the overall economy, raising standards of living, and promoting growth.
• Transparency allows for true democracy, where people can see the effects of the decisions they make, instead of relying on blind faith for their leaders.
• If theft is a crime, privacy is also a crime. It steals from people the right to access knowledge.

Arguments against a "transparent" society:

• Privacy is a basic human right.
• There would be no place for those who choose to be private in a transparent world. This eliminates the right to choose what the world can and cannot see.
• Whoever stores the knowledge gained through transparency could corrupt the system and use it for their own gain.
• People lose the right to decide their own morals in a transparent world; society decides what is or isn't right. This leads to a loss of independence, because every action is taken for the opinions of others rather than oneself.
• When every action is constantly being watched and judged, it is easy for people to get hurt.
• People can become overwhelmed with unnecessary information, causing them to lose sight of what is important.
• Secrets are sometimes necessary to keep peace.
• Transparency eliminates the voice of minorities, who may not agree with majority opinions and morals.

Phew. Okay, so after looking at both sides of transparency, I'm still unsure of where I stand. There are such huge benefits to a transparent society, many of which our technologically driven society is already moving towards. With the use of surveillance cameras, tracking devices, GPS, and Google--none of which existed 100 years ago-- it's clear that we're infinitely more transparent today than we were in the past. We're moving towards a more transparent society whether we like it or not. 

These kinds of technologies make our lives easier, but they also take away bits of our privacy. The government can tap our calls without our knowledge. Our locations can be tracked through our cell phones without our knowledge. Is this fair? Do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks? I really don't know. And as is evident from this ridiculously long blog post, no amount of logical thinking or pro/con lists can truly determine an answer to this question.

So for now, we can only hope to continue on our path towards transparency while keeping an eye out to ensure that no one gets hurt along the way.

--Sanjukta