Peter Thiel—Peter Thiel published essay questioning compatibility of freedom and democracy
In his April 2009 Cato Unbound essay "The Education of a Libertarian," Peter Thiel wrote that he "no longer believed that freedom and democracy are compatible." He also stated that the extension of voting rights to women made capitalist democracy an "oxymoron," arguing that welfare beneficiaries and women generally favor redistributive policies. The essay advocated for escape from politics through cyberspace, outer space, and seasteading.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Institutions | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Gender Equity | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.510 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (medium ×1) × confidence (0.68)
Evidence (2 signals)
Linked women's suffrage to the 'impossibility' of capitalist democracy in libertarian essay
In his 2009 Cato Unbound essay 'The Education of a Libertarian,' Thiel wrote that the extension of voting rights to women made capitalist democracy an 'oxymoron.' The essay argued that freedom and democracy are incompatible, and was later cited as influential in the 'Dark Enlightenment' or neoreactionary movement.
Wrote essay stating freedom and democracy are not compatible
In an essay for Cato Unbound titled The Education of a Libertarian, Thiel wrote that he no longer believed freedom and democracy were compatible. He also linked the extension of voting rights to women with the supposed impossibility of capitalist democracy.