Peter Thiel’s recent Antichrist lectures raised many eyebrows. But is he just eccentric, or do his worldview and approach to philanthropy tell us something important about wider trends that might shape philanthropy in the future?

We explore Elon Musk’s recent claim that “empathy is the fundamental weakness of Western civilisation” – what does it mean, where does it come from, and is there is any truth in it?

Following a barrage of executive orders and policy announcements from President Donald Trump which posed major challenges for civil society organisations, we take a look at some of the key questions for philanthropy at a time of chaos.

In this article, we consider what role philanthropy and civil society might play in a “post work” future where AI and automation has fundamentally altered our society and economic models.