Conspiracy Theories: The Illuminati

Several groups throughout history have called themselves the ‘Enlightened Ones’. The Illuminati. However, what most people refer to with the term are the Bavarian Illuminati, founded in Bavaria in 1776 by an ex-Jesuit, Adam Weishaupt, and Baron Adolph von Knigge. Its members were almost entirely recruited from the Masons. The Illuminati was a secret society for freethinking Republicans that, at the time, espoused numerous radical beliefs. Members included intellectuals such as Goethe, and the local aristocracy. In the conservative, Catholc and monarchical Bavaria of the 18th century, they were not popular with the authorities and were banned in 1785.

What the Theorists say:

The stated aim of the Illuminati, as discovered in secret papers written by Wieshaupt, was to infiltrate the governments of the world, foment revolution to overthrow existing states and religions and bring about a single world government. Although officially outlawed, the society continued to exist in secret, promoting its evil schemes through such varied groups as the Freemasons, the British Royal Family, the Bilderbergs, the European Union and the United Nations. Through such influential organisations, the Illuminati hold the reins of global power and run world affairs like puppet masters, gradually softening up the world’s population for he imposition of the New World Order.

The achievements of the Illuminati so far include the American, French and Russian revolutions, the spread of atheism, the creation of the EU, UN, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Health Organisation. Some theorists even say that they are in league with aliens to enslave the human race or (even more elaborately) that they are aliens.

The Official Story?

Given that most theories about the Illuminati are short on evidence they get easily brushed aside. The Illuminati have been used as the arch-villains of all conspiracies since they were accused of dealings with the Knights Templar and Freemasons in the late eighteenth century. At the very most they discussed widely controversial ideals for the time and promoted the rights of the individual and the primacy of reason over the church and state. This would no doubt have terrified the establishments that they would have been thoroughly demonised.

Should you be paranoid?

Not even a little. Deranged and distasteful anti-semitic rants fuel the majority of Illuminati conspiracies in modern times, and serves to paint genuinely helpful researchers into illicit government activities in a bad light.

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