Peter Thiel on Free Speech

Peter Thiel presents himself as a strong proponent of classical liberal and libertarian values, which centrally include freedom of speech, arguing that the West is moving toward a collectivist, conformist state that stifles heterodox thought. He posits that societies become insane when there is near-unanimity, often citing the Judeo-Christian view that the crowd frequently gets moral judgments wrong, contrasting this with the Western philosophical tradition that often trusts the wisdom of crowds. Thiel suggests that if a concept is forbidden or censored, there is a high suspicion that it is actually true, even if he has not personally verified it.

This stance on speech is contextualized by his critique of modern institutional dogmatism, such as in COVID-19 politics or the Federal Reserve, where experts enforce narratives that he believes prevent critical course-correction. His concern extends to media and academia, where he notes instances where wealthy individuals have bankrolled efforts to bankrupt publications whose reporting they dislike, or where universities attempt to enforce speech codes that prohibit offending others. For Thiel, the danger lies in the suppression of nuanced or dissenting ideas, which he views as necessary for societal health and avoiding an Orwellian future.