Peter Wessel Zapffe's views on democracy and technology were generally negative and stemmed from his core philosophical position of antinatalism and pessimism regarding the human condition.

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Critique of Democracy

Zapffe did not engage with democracy as a conventional political scientist but critiqued it as a societal mechanism of self-deception and a form of "anchoring."

• Self-Deception: Zapffe believed that human consciousness is a biological flaw that must be kept in check by various defense mechanisms to prevent existential panic. Democracy and its underlying institutions (like the State or morality) function as collective "anchoring firmaments." They provide the illusion of control, meaning, and progress, which prevents the majority of people from confronting the tragic absurdity of existence.

• Political Apathy: By presenting an illusion of choice and control, democratic institutions keep people compliant and distracted, preventing any collective, fundamental change to the human problem (i.e., stopping procreation).

• Post-Democratic System: Some interpretations of his work suggest that the systems people use to distract themselves from life's tragedy could be seen as moving towards a form of "post-democratic" structure where genuine critical thought and autonomy are sacrificed for institutional comfort.

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Stance on Technology

Zapffe was deeply skeptical and critical of technological progress, viewing it as an extension of the human flaw and a tool for spiritual unemployment and environmental destruction.

• Spiritual Unemployment: He argued that growing civilization, technology, and standardization made the "best biological talents" of humans superfluous. By automating and simplifying survival, technology creates "spiritual unemployment," which gives the overdeveloped human intellect more time to brood over its own tragic condition and lack of cosmic meaning, thereby increasing suffering.

• Larceny of Experience: In a striking critique, Zapffe suggested that every single technological innovation represents a "grand and ruthless larceny from the possibilities for others' experiences." For instance, using aircraft to map unknown areas destroys the possibility of discovery and the "joy of discovery after his own efforts" for future explorers.

• Environmental Impact: As an early environmentalist, his concern was that technology leads to the culturalization and infringement of nature. He was deeply skeptical of developments that gave humanity the power to create global difficulties.

In essence, Zapffe saw both democracy (as practiced) and technology as sophisticated methods that perpetuate the flawed and tragic human existence by distracting us from its ultimate meaninglessness, or by giving us more powerful, dangerous tools for living it.