Why is Locke now called Jeremy Bentham?

Just a quick theory as to why John Locke is now calling himself Jeremy Bentham in the flash forwards, which I'm sure that most people will have thought of already but I hadn't seen it posted anywhere, and lookign to make a name for myself!!! (apologies if it has been posted already and i missed it).

We have seen that many of the O6 are pretty paranoid about being observed due to their cover story about what happened after the plane crash in order to protect the others left on the island. Yet this paranoia seems to be well founded as we have seen on different occasions that they are being watched on the outside.

Now if John Locke showed up 3 years after the crash and was identified as such, this would mean that they were lying to everyone as John Locke was a passenger on Oceanic 815 and if he's still alive, then they are lying and maybe the rest are alive too - as Abbadon asked Hurley, "Are they still alive?".

Therefore John is just using the alias of Jeremy Bentham in order to not draw attention to himself as John Locke, hence none of them wanting to call him John. Can't remember which character was stopped saying his name but there was one - Hurley again? That tubby blabbermouth!

The reason why he is using the name of the father of utilitarianism, I have no idea. But then again maybe it was the only philosophers name that hadn't already been used in Lost?

And just as an aside, the concept of observation seems very prevalent to Lost, as one of the most intriguing statements said by any character was when we met Cindy the air stewardess recently converted to be an Other when Jack was locked up, and when asked what she was doing, she just said, "Watching". I feel this may have greater significance later on, but then again I have been waiting for them to build on that for nearly two series now so maybe not?

I agree with you on the alias/secrecy aspect.

As for why he chose that particular name, maybe his time on the Island, and time spent with The Others, has taught him more about the Island's purpose and function and so, somehow, choosing the name Jeremy Bentham relates to that somehow.

As you say, Cindy's remark about how they are there to watch is not one that has been addressed and maybe, just maybe, it was a small, subtle seed being planted for bigger themes and concepts were yet to be exposed to.

Good post.

Surveillance, I think, is a key element in LOST often over-looked or underestimated. And the Bentham / pan-optic prison thing certainly seems to support the idea that our Losties on-island and off, are being closely monitered.

What I really want to know is the identity of this teenaged son Bentham/Locke supposedly left behind. Its an intriguing mystery.

Hey Molly, mabey he adopted Walt....After all Walt is a special kid...

Cheers Molly

I think the focus on the "eyes" at the beginning of most episodes would support your claim that observation or watching are an important theme to the show (one of several thousand).

And good call on the panoptic prison ref. Are they all being observed as part of one giant "silly experiment"? And if so, by whom? We've been told God can't see them on the Island, so who can?

WRT this adopted son business, I thought that the clipping wasn't canon to the series. I could be wrong about this but did the newspaper clipping call him JB or was it a different name? If so then i think we can reject this.

blonde wrote:Hey Molly, mabey he adopted Walt....After all Walt is a special kid...

I thought about this, but it would blow other theories I have right outta the water.

Wow good stuff, hadn`t thought of Walt as Locke`s son good possibility. Good post jimbobajim some stuff I forgot and hadn`t thought about before.

The panoptic system is the culmination of speculative philosophy, which is rooted in separation of subject and object.

While the island, uh, invigorates Locke's mind through his perception, Locke has no power over the island, or over the objects the surround him..

Walt on the other hand is the end of subject/object or their reconcilliation. Walt's self (subject) has power over objects.

Walt's adoption could represent culmination of the speculative project which Bentham continued.

I like the idea that it is a name taken by Locke to remain undetected.

But, there is another possibility we must consider.

Perhaps the obit with the name Jeremy Bentham, which was made by the Lost prop department, was not supposed to mean anything. (The Lost producers said as much but I trust them as much as I'd trust Ben) If so, the fact that Lost fans were able to get enough out of it to come up with names similar to Jeremy Bentham caused the writers to make cannon something that was ont supposed to be readable on screen.

Do I think that's likely? Not really, the writers of Lost are a bit too sneaky for that and they know how we pick over every detail, meaningful or not (remember "the bracelet" But it is still possible.

As for Locke taking Walt as his son? Holy s**t Molly!!! That is so incredible a concept that I am both stunned that someone had the creativity to come up with that idea and jealous that I did not.

Uber-kudos to all!

Does anyone have a link to that damn newspaper clipping?

I remember seeing it on Lostpedia but can't find it now - did it definitely say Jeremy Bentham on it?

Thanks

Wow! Fast work. Cheers AC.