In this lecture, Wolfgang Palaver critically examines the thought of Peter Thiel through the lens of René Girard. Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies, argues in his secretive “Antichrist lectures” that fears of climate change, AI, and nuclear war could lead to a totalitarian global order, which he associates with the Antichrist.
Palaver critically examines this paradox: by framing global challenges in apocalyptic terms, Thiel may be contributing to the very outcome he fears. At the same time, Thiel’s libertarian outlook prioritizes technological acceleration with minimal regulation, putting him at odds with calls for global governance. His controversial statements, including labeling Greta Thunberg as a symbolic threat, are discussed in this broader theological and philosophical context. This lecture by Palaver took place at the Dominicuskerk in Amsterdam, organized by the Dutch Girard society.
