Knowledge and Technology Policy in Fallout and Philosophy

The text analyzes the power structure in the world of Fallout, focusing on the distinction between formal choice and actual autonomy. Using Vault 33 as an example, the author demonstrates how an information monopoly and a controlled cognitive environment allow a technocratic elite to engineer obedience without the use of overt coercion. Power does not merely forbid; it actively produces categories of normality and interpretations of reality, utilizing the fear of external chaos to legitimize its rule. Drawing on the concepts of Locke and Hobbes, the article argues that security becomes the foundation of sovereignty in systems where the cognitive infrastructure is designed to limit an individual's range of possible decisions, thereby creating an illusion of democratic participation.