Adam Weishaupt, founder

Introduction:

The Illuminati, translated as the people of the light, refers to several groups and to prevailing conspiracy theories about some of these groups’ importance or continued influence in the modern world. Most specifically, the Illuminati were a radical group in Bavaria founded in 1776, which gave rise to other countries also forming Illuminati groups.

The Bavarian Illuminati, as well as its offshoot groups, was a secret society, to which many politicians and intellectuals were drawn. The Society of Masons was thought to have close ties with members of the Illuminati, and many Masons joined the Illuminati. Some Mason groups felt that they were religiously conflicted with the Illuminati because many Illuminati members were atheists.

As far as history can suggest, Illuminati groups from Europe were some of the more advanced thinkers of the time period, reflectinghumanism philosophy emerging at the time. They were opposed to power exerted by churches and by the nobility. The organization, as a secret society, was illegal. During its early years, this secret society may have had as many as 10 branches in Europe and 2000 members drawn from the intellectuals in Europe. According to historical sources, the Illuminati fell apart by 1795.

History

The movement was founded on May 1, 1776, in Ingolstadt (Upper Bavaria), by Jesuit-taught Adam Weishaupt (d. 1830), who was the first lay professor of canon law at the University of Ingolstadt. The movement was made up of freethinkers as an offshoot of the Enlightenment, and seems to have been modeled on the Freemasons. Some observers at the time, such as Seth Payson, believed the movement represented a conspiracy to infiltrate and overthrow the governments of European states. Writers such as Augustin Barruel and John Robison even claimed that the Illuminati were behind the French Revolution, a claim that Jean-Joseph Mounier dismissed in his 1801 book On the Influence Attributed to Philosophers, Free-Masons, and to the Illuminati on the Revolution of France.

The group's adherents were given the name "Illuminati", although they called themselves "Perfectibilists". The group has also been called the Illuminati Order and the Bavarian Illuminati, and the movement itself has been referred to as Illuminism (after illuminism). In 1777, Karl Theodor became ruler of Bavaria. He was a proponent of Enlightened Despotism and, in 1784, his government banned all secret societies, including the Illuminati.

During the period when the Illuminati were legally allowed to operate, many influential intellectuals and progressive politicians counted themselves as members, including Ferdinand of Brunswick and the diplomat Xavier von Zwack, who was number two in the operation and was found with much of the group's literature when his home was searched. The Illuminati's members pledged obedience to their superiors. Members were divided into three main classes, each with several degrees.

The order had its branches in most countries of the European continent; it reportedly had around 2,000 members over the span of eight years. The organization had its attraction for literary men, such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Johann Gottfried Herder, and even for the reigning dukes of Gotha and Weimar. Weishaupt modeled his group to some extent on Freemasonry, and many Illuminati chapters drew membership from existing Masonic lodges. Internal rupture and panic over succession preceded its downfall, which was effected by the Secular Edict made by the Bavarian government in 1785.

Modern Illuminati

Writers such as Mark Dice, David Icke, Ryan Burke, Jüri Lina and Morgan Gricar have argued that the Bavarian Illuminati survived, possibly to this day. Many of these theories propose that world events are being controlled and manipulated by a secret society calling itself the Illuminati. Conspiracy theorists have claimed that many notable people were or are members of the Illuminati, including Winston Churchill, the Bush family, Barack Obama, the Rothschild family, David Rockefeller and Zbigniew Brzezinski.

In addition to the shadowy and secret organization, several modern fraternal groups claim to be the "heirs" of the Bavarian Illuminati and have openly used the name "Illuminati" in founding their own rites. Some, such as the multiple groups that call themselves some variation on "The Illuminati Order" use the name directly in the name of their organization, while others, such as the Ordo Templi Orientis, use the name as a grade of initiation within their organization.

Popular culture

Author Profile: Jasim Mushtaq

This author has published 49 articles so far. More info about the author is coming soon.