Is the ‘Lost’ Island a Panopticon?

A tipster notes the fact that Jeremy Bentham — the utilitarian philosopher whose name graced this week’s season finale of Lost — is best known as the deviser of the Panopticon, a conceptual prison that would allow guards to watch prisoners without them knowing. The idea, of course, is that prisoners within the Panopticon must always assume they’re being watched, whether they are or aren’t. As our tipster noted, “Sound like a certain island?�

Bloggers and the message boards are mulling this one over too, and many have pointed out that the Dharma Initiative’s logo is clearly based on the Panopticon. But the real question: Does this mean anything, or is it just more Lost-ian pseudo-philosophical babble?