Peter Thiel hosts private lectures on the Antichrist at a club in San Francisco

The series, organized by non -profit organizations Works of 17 collectiveThe “theological and technological dimensions of Christians” will explore in four sessions in September and October. Lectures remain outside the registry, with no public texts or records, but they depend on work Rene GerardThe French philosopher who strongly affected Thil during his university years in Stanford, along with thinkers like Francis Pacon and Karl Schmidt.

Thiel theological concerns may seem inconsistent with the empire of his business, but it reflects a fixed view of the world consisting of Girad’s.Tradition theory– The idea that human desires have learned through tradition, and often lead to conflict and violence. This philosophical framework According to what was reported on the investment of Thiel $ 500,000 on Facebook In 2004, which is attributed to the recognition of the simulation nature of social media.

The 57 -year -old billionaire, worth $ 20.8 billion according to ForbesHe built his wealth through a series of contradictory investments that defied the wisdom of the traditional silicon valley. His investment philosophy focuses on identifying monopoly -like companies and supporting transformative technologies before they get a major recognition. This approach led to early successes with PayPal, which It was sold to EBY for $ 1.5 billion in 2002And subsequent investments in companies such as Palantir TechnologiesThe Data Company that he participated in establishing in 2003.

Balnter has emerged as the most controversial Tail project, providing monitoring and data analysis tools for government agencies, including The enforcement of migration and customsMinistry of Defense, Intelligence Services. Company “Gotham” platform The application of the law enables the delivery of extensive data groups and the creation of detailed profiles from individuals by combining everything from DMV records to social media. The last Trump administration contracts Ownership End of access Through federal agencies, it raises concerns about the potential misuse of political targeting.

The magic of Thil in the concept of the Antichrist stems from his belief that such a number will not rise to power not through public evil, but by exploiting technological concerns to impose global control. In a conversation New York Times interviewThil said that his “speculative thesis” on how the Antichrist appears: “The way the Antichrist will talk about Harmjdon without stopping. You talk about existential risks without stopping.”

this theory The Antichrist puts a person that would provide “peace and safety” while using the fear of catastrophic technological dangers – risk of rising intelligence, nuclear war, and climate change – to justify monitoring measures and unprecedented monitoring. The paradox, Some critics also noticeThil itself is repeatedly discussing the horrific scenarios while building the same monitoring techniques that can enable this control.

Thil has already suggested that modern technology It provides “mechanism” This imaginary imaging of the Antichrist lacks the ability to achieve global domination through the integration of data and monitoring instead of traditional conquest. Thiel Palantir embodies this possibility, through its platforms designed to synthesize the sources of different information in comprehensive intelligence systems.

The interests of the theological thickness have grown in general in recent years, coinciding with its increased political influence. He was Trump’s supporter early and A delegate at the 2016 Republican National CongressWhere it was made history k The first gay speaker publicly To announce his sexual life from the theater. Support for political figures such as JD Vance, Which helped to launch politicsHis belief reflects that the technological recession requires a disturbing political change.

Acts 17 COLCTIVE – organized by the Thiel lectures series of the Antichrist and takes its name from the Acts of the Apostles 17, where the Apostle Paul preached cultural elites in Athens and other intellectual centers – targeting the leaders of wealthy technology by realizing that traditional approaches often hesitate to the culture of secular technology. For Thiel, who grew up He describes himself as complex religious opinionsHis interpretation is strongly dependent on Gerard’s work on sacrifice, violence and social order, and he sees Christianity uniquely equipped to diagnose the risks of society that technology can exaggerate.

The timing of the Antichrist’s Thiell lectures coincides with the increasing scrutiny of the increasing role of Palantir in government monitoring. Under Trump’s management, the company I got more than $ 113 million in federal contractsWith her technology, she was published across at least four main agencies. The company’s ability to merge data from multiple sources Fears raised among the advocates of civil freedoms and Even some Republicans About the possibility of abuse.

Critics argue that Thil’s warnings about the Antichrist’s episode is hollow, given his role in building the same monitoring infrastructure that can enable authoritarian control. Thirteen employees in Palantir signed a recent letter Urging the company to stop its work with the Trump administration, pointing to concerns about how to misuse technology for political targeting.

These tensions reflect wider questions about the role of technology companies in democratic rule. When Palantir tools become increasingly developed, the line between legitimate security applications and potential authoritarian abuse becomes more difficult to determine them. Thiel theological framework provides one lens to understand these risks, but whether his lectures are the Antichrist is a real concern about technological transgression or an attempt to organize criticism to his private journeys, still is an open issue.