Results for illuminati
On this page:
 
Dictionary:

illuminati

  (ĭ-lū'mə-nä') pronunciation
pl.n.
  1. People claiming to be unusually enlightened with regard to a subject.
  2. Illuminati Any of various groups claiming special religious enlightenment.

[Latin illūminātī, from pl. of illūminātus. See illuminate.]


 
 
(ĭlū'mĭnā'tī, –nä') [Lat.,=enlightened], rationalistic society founded in Germany soon after 1776 by Adam Weishaupt, a professor at Ingolstadt, having close affinities with the Freemasons and seemingly organized on a Masonic plan. While briefly very popular among German rationalists, it had limited influence. The Roman Catholic Church, which Weishaupt left in his youth and rejoined before his death, condemned the Illuminati; in 1785 the Bavarian government dissolved the organization. It did not long survive. In Spain and Italy in the 15th and 16th cents. the term Illuminati, or Alumbrado, referred to persons claiming direct communion with the Holy Spirit, so asserting that outward forms of religious life are unnecessary. Their claims led to persecution by the Inquisition. Other groups using the name have included the Rosicrucians, and certain followers of Jakob Boehme and Emmanuel Swedenborg.


 

A term first used in the fifteenth century by enthusiasts in the occult arts, signifying those who claimed to possess light directly communicated from a higher source or because of abundant human wisdom. The term was used in Spain about the end of the fifteenth century, but probably originated from an Italian Gnostic source. All kinds of people, many of them charlatans, claimed to belong to the Illuminati. In Spain those who assumed the label had to face the rigor of the Inquisition, and many of them moved to France as refugees in the early seventeenth century.

Here and there small bodies of those called Illuminati— sometimes known as Rosicrucians —rose into publicity for a short period. It was through Adam Weishaupt (1748-1830), professor of law at Ingolstadt, that the movement first became identified with republicanism. Weishaupt founded the order of the Illuminati in Bavaria in 1776. It soon secured a stronghold throughout Germany. Its critics suggested that its founder's objective was merely to convert his followers into blind instruments of his will.

Weishaupt built a strong organization modeled on the Jesuits'. The Illuminati was an occult organization and had a series of classes and grades, similar to that within Freemasonry. It offered promise of the communication of deep occult secrets in the higher ranks. Only a few of the members knew Weishaupt personally as the society spread throughout Germany. He was able to enlist a number of young men of wealth and position, and within four or five years the members even began to have a hand in the affairs of the state. Not a few of the German princes found it to their interest to have dealings with the fraternity.

Weishaupt blended philanthropy and mysticism. He was only 28 when he founded the sect in 1776, and it began to prosper when a certain Baron Adolph von Knigge (1752-1796) joined him in 1780. A gifted person of strong imagination, von Knigge had been a master of most of the secret societies of his day, including the Freemasons. He was also an expert occultist, and the supernatural held a strong attraction for him. He and Weishaupt rapidly spread the gospel of the revolution throughout Germany. They grew fearful, however, that if the authorities discovered the existence of such a society as theirs they would take steps to suppress it. With this in mind they conceived the idea of grafting Illuminism onto Freemasonry, which they thought would protect it and help it spread more widely and rapidly.

The Freemasons were not long in discovering the true nature of those who had just joined their organization. A chief council was held to thoroughly examine the beliefs held by the Illuminati, and a conference of Masons was held in 1782. Knigge and Weishaupt attended and endeavored to capture the whole organization of Freemasonry, but a misunderstanding grew up between the leaders of Illuminism. Knigge withdrew from the society, and two years later some who discovered Weishaupt's democratic aims denounced it to the Bavarian government, which quickly moved to suppress it. The Illuminati were all but destroyed in 1785 and Weishaupt fled. However, illuminist ideas spread to occultists in France and helped in building support for the French Revolution.

The title Illuminati was later given to the French Martinists, followers of the French mystic Louis Claude de St. Martin (1743-1803), known as "le philosophe inconno."

A famous member of the Order of Illuminati was Count Alessandrodi Cagliostro. He was initiated in 1781 at Frankfurt, where the Illuminati used the name Grand Masters of the Templars, and was said to have received money and instructions from Weishaupt to influence French Masonry. Cagliostro later became associated with the Martinist order, which had been founded in 1754. Some believe that the Illuminati maintained a complex network of secret orders in the later seventeenth century, others that a variety of different independent groups used the name. A revived Order of Illuminati was founded in 1880 by Leopold Engel at Dresden, Germany. Notable names connected with this revival include Rudolph Steiner and Franz Hartmann.

Through the twentieth century, the idea of an Illuminati conspiracy became one of the more popular conspiracy myths feeding off waves of paranoia in the Western public. In the late twentieth century, popular writer Robert Anton Wilson played with the Illuminati theme in a series of books designed to shake the reader out of conventional modes of thought.

Sources:

Barruel, Augustin. Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism. 4 vols., London, 1797.

Daraul, Arbon. Secret Societies, Yesterday and Today. London: Fernhill Housen, 1961. Reprinted as A History of Secret Societies. New York: Citadel, 1961.

Fagan, Myron. A Brief History of the Illuminati. Lansing, Ill.: H.B.C., 1978. Gould, R. F. History of Freemasonry. 5 vols. Rev. ed. London: Caxton, 1931.

Hackethorn, Charles William. The Secret Societies of All Ages and Countries. 2 vols. Reprint, New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1965.

Holmes, Donald. The Illuminati Conspiracy. Los Angeles: Falcon Press, 1987.

Waite, Arthur E. A New Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry. 2 vols. London: Rider, 1921. Reprint, New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1970.

Wilgus, Neal. The Illuminoids. New York: New American Library, 1989.

Wilson, Robert Anton. Cosmic Trigger: Final Secret of the Illuminati. Berkeley, Calif.: And/Or Press, 1977.

——. The Illuminati Papers. Berkeley, Calif.: And/Or Press, 1980.

——. Illuminatus! 3 vols. New York: Dell, 1975.

——. Masks of the Illuminati. New York: Timescape, 1981.

 
Obscure Words: illuminati


people claiming to be unusually enlightened with regard to a subject
 
Devil's Dictionary: illuminati
A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce


n.

A sect of Spanish heretics of the latter part of the sixteenth century; so called because they were light weights -- cunctationes illuminati.


 
Wikipedia: Illuminati


Illuminati is the name that refers to several groups, both real and fictitious. Most commonly it refers specifically to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment era secret society founded in the late eighteenth century. However, in modern times it refers to a purported conspiratorial organization which acts as a shadowy hand behind the throne, allegedly controlling world affairs through present day governments and corporations, usually as a modern incarnation or continuation of the Bavarian Illuminati. In this context, Illuminati is often used in reference to a New World Order (NWO). Many conspiracy theorists believe the Illuminati, The People of The Light, or illuminated ones, are the masterminds behind events that will lead to the establishment of such a New World Order.

In rarer cases, the Illuminati refers to an elite set of enlightened individuals who may not cooperate but are uniquely empowered by their enlightenment, much like the intelligentsia classes of today are empowered by their education and intelligence. These are people who have become illuminated and have achieved a higher mystical understanding of the universe. Many secret societies and mystical traditions are concerned with this kind of illumination or enlightenment, such as the Rosicrucian Societies, the Martinists and the original Bavarian Illuminati.[1]

Origins

Pre-Weishaupt origins are given to the Alumbrados of Spain and Illuminés of France.[citation needed] This claim holds in name and mystical concerns, but no solid historical lineage is known. Their practice of mysticism and attempt at communion with God through meditation or sexual practices, along with claims of enlightenment while living, denote a seeming connection with later Illuminati groups. However claims of later connections to other organizations' familiarity with these early movements are unsubstantiated.[citations needed]

The Bavarian Illuminati

History

This movement was founded on May 1, 1776, in Ingolstadt (Upper Bavaria), by Jesuit-taught Adam Weishaupt (d. 1830)[citation needed], who was the first lay professor of canon law at the University of Ingolstadt.[citation needed] The movement was made up of freethinkers, as an offshoot of the Enlightenment[2], which some believe was a conspiracy to infiltrate and overthrow the governments of many European states[3]. 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. In 1777, Karl Theodor, Elector Palatine, succeeded as ruler of Bavaria. He was a proponent of Enlightened Despotism and in 1784, his government banned all secret societies, including the Illuminati.

While it was not legally allowed to operate, many influential intellectuals and progressive politicians counted themselves as members, including Ferdinand of Brunswick and the diplomat Xavier von Zwack.[4] Although a few Freemasons were known[citation needed] to be members there is no evidence that it was supported by Freemasonry as an institution. Indeed, membership in the Illuminati, unlike that in Freemasonry, did not require belief in a Supreme Being.[citation needed] As a result, atheists having only the former organization open to them, congregated disproportionately in it; this over-representation, taken along with the Illuminati's largely humanist and anti-clerical bent, likely accounts for many of the claims of atheism leveled at the alleged world conspiracy of which the Illuminati supposedly remain a part.[citation needed]

The Illuminati's members pledged obedience to their superiors, and were divided into three main classes: the first, known as the Nursery, encompassed the ascending degrees or offices of Preparation, Novice, Minerval and Illuminatus Minor. The second, known as the Masonry, consists of the ascending degrees of Illuminatus Major and Illuminatus dirigens. It was also sometimes called Scotch Knight. The third, designated the Mysteries, was subdivided into the degrees of the Lesser Mysteries (Presbyter and Regent) and those of the Greater Mysteries (Magus and Rex). Relations with Masonic lodges were established at Munich and Freising in 1780 by Alexander Gibson and Joseph Vincent respectively.[citation needed]

The order had its branches in most countries of the European continent;[citation needed] it reportedly had around 2,000 members over the span of 10 years.[citation needed] The scheme 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. Internal rupture and panic over succession preceded its downfall, which was effected by The Secular Edict made by the Bavarian government in 1785.[citation needed]

Illuminati after 1790

Conspiracy theorists such as David Icke and Wes Penre, have argued that the Bavarian Illuminati survived, possibly to this day, though very little reliable evidence can be found to support that Weishaupt's group survived into the 19th century. However, several groups have used the name Illuminati since to found their own rites, claiming to be the Illuminati, including the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) of Theodor Reuss and Aleister Crowley (England),[5] Grand Lodge Rockefeller of David Goldman (USA), Orden Illuminati[6] of Gabriel López de Rojas (Spain), The Illuminati Order[7] and others.

Cultural effect

The Bavarian Illuminati have cast a long shadow in popular history thanks to the writings of their opponents; the allegations of conspiracy that have coloured the image of the Freemasons have practically opaqued that of the Illuminati. In 1797, Abbé Augustin Barruél published Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism outlining a vivid conspiracy theory involving the Knights Templar, the Rosicrucians, the Jacobins and the Illuminati, during the course of which Barruél blamed all of what he regarded as the disasters of his times such as the French Revolution on the said groups.[citation needed] A Scottish Mason and professor of natural history named John Robison started to publish Proofs of a Conspiracy Against all the Religions and Governments of Europe in 1798. Robison claimed to present evidence of an Illuminati conspiracy striving to replace all world religions with humanism and all nations with a single world government.[citation needed]

More recently, Antony C. Sutton suggested that the secret society Skull and Bones was founded as the American branch of the Illuminati.[8] Others think Scroll and Key also had Illuminati origins.[citation needed] Writer Robert Gillette claimed that the Illuminati ultimately intend to establish a world government through assassination, bribery, blackmail, the control of banks and other financial powers, the infiltration of governments, mind control, and by causing wars and revolution to move their own people into higher positions in the political hierarchy.[citation needed]Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, claimed they intended to spread information and the principles of true morality. He attributed the secrecy of the Illuminati to what he called "the tyranny of a despot and priests" referring to the governments and religious beliefs of the time.[citation needed]

Both sides seem to agree that the enemies of the Illuminati were the monarchs of Europe and the Church; Barruél claimed that the French revolution in 1789 was engineered and controlled by the Illuminati through the Jacobins, and later theorists even claimed that the Illuminati were responsible for the Russian Revolution of 1917, although the order was officially defunct prior to 1789.[citation needed] Few historians give credence to these views; they regard such claims as the products of over-fertile imaginations.[citation needed]Conspiracy theorists highlight an alleged link between the Illuminati and Freemasonry.[citation needed] They also suggest that the United States' founding fathers—some of whom were Freemasons—were rife with corruption from the Illuminati, and that the symbols of the All-seeing Eye and the unfinished pyramid in the Great Seal of the United States are an example of the Illuminati's ever-present watchful eye over Americans.[citation needed]

While Weishaupt's group did not survive into the 19th century, several groups have since used the name Illuminati to found their own rites, claiming to be the Illuminati. Groups describing themselves as Illuminati say they have members and chapters throughout the world.[citation needed]

According to Principia Discordia, the Bavarian Illuminati were revived or rediscovered in the 20th century under the leadership of Mordecai Malignatus.[citation needed]

The British writer David Icke also claims that the Illuminati secretly manipulate world events, citing bloodline connections between the British Royal Family, the Windsors and Mountbattens, and United States Presidents and, he says, a connection to the Illuminati.[citation needed]

The idea of a secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati is currently deep-rooted in popular culture. The Illuminati were for example used in the fiction novel by Dan Brown called Angels & Demons. According to Brown the Illuminati was founded by scientists, amongst others Galileo Galilei, who had become infuriated with the refusal of the Catholic Church to accept their work, merely condemning their research as heresy. Interestingly enough, the poet John Milton is also included by Brown.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Daraul, Arkon, A History of Secret Societies, London Octagon 1983 (originally London: Muller, 1961) ISBN 0863040241
  2. ^ The Enlightenment, Freemasonry, and The Illuminati; American Atheists
  3. ^ Chapter 2--The Illuminati; Proofs of a Conspiracy; John Robison; 1798
  4. ^ page from cesnur.org
  5. ^ page from cyberlink.ch
  6. ^ Ordeniluminati.com
  7. ^ illuminati-order.com
  8. ^ Sutton, Antony C. - America's Secret Establishment: An Introduction to the Order of Skull & Bones (Trine Day, LLC, 2003)

References

  • "Babylon: Secret Rituals of Illuminati" Leilah Publications, LLC (March 23, 2007) ISBN 141965456X
  • 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica: "Illuminati"
  • Cooper, Milton William (1991). Behold a Pale Horse. Light Technology Publications. ISBN 0-929385-22-5. 
  • The Cosmic Conspiracy — Deyo, Stan (Adventures Unlimited Press, Illinois, 1994)
  • The Illuminati 666 — Sutton, Josiah William (Teach Services, Inc, New York, 1983).
  • Proof of a Conspiracy Against all the Religions and Governments of Europe — Robison, John A.M. (New York, 1798)
  • Die Korrespondenz des Illuminatenordens. Bd. 1, 1776–81. Ed. by Reinhard Markner, Monika Neugebauer-Wölk and Hermann Schüttler. - Tübingen, Max Niemeyer, 2005. - ISBN 3-484-10881-9
  • Radical Enlightenment: Philosophy and the Making of Modernity 1650–1750. Israel, Jonathan I. (Oxford University Press, USA; New Ed edition, 2002).
  • They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of essays on the Illuminati, revisionist history and suppressed technology — Desborough, Brian(Writers Club Press/ iUniverse.com, 2002) ISBN 0-595-21957-8
  • Nyarlathotep, Frater & Jesse Lindsay: Ardeth - The Made Vampire. Lulu Press, 2006. ISBN 978-1-84728-516-4
  • Barkun, Michael (2003). A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America. University of California Press, Berkeley. ISBN 0-520-23805-2. 
  • Johnson, George (1983). Architects of Fear: Conspiracy Theories and Paranoia in American Politics. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc.. ISBN 0-87477-275-3. 

External links


 
Translations: Translations for: Illuminati

Dansk (Danish)
n. pl. - lyse hoveder, illuminater

Nederlands (Dutch)
mensen die beweren bijzonder verlicht te zijn, vereniging/beweging van zulke mensen

Français (French)
n. pl. - personnes qui détiennent la vérité/la connaissance

Deutsch (German)
n. pl. - Illuminaten, (mit besonderer Erkenntnis Begabte, Orden, die sich bes. Erleuchtung rühmten)

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. pl. - (θρησκ., μτφ.) οι πεφωτισμένοι

Italiano (Italian)
illuminati (sette sorte in Spagna e Germania in diversi periodi storici)

Português (Portuguese)
n. pl. - pessoas (f pl) de espírito iluminado

Русский (Russian)
иллюминаты (члены тайного общества)

Español (Spanish)
n. pl. - gente ilustrada, gente culta

Svenska (Swedish)
n. pl. - illuminater, sekter o hemliga sällskap som ansåg sig vara upplysta (hist.), upplysta (invigda) personer (iron.)

中文(简体) (Chinese (Simplified))
具睿智的人, 先觉者, 光照派

中文(繁體) (Chinese (Traditional))
n. pl. - 具睿智的人, 先覺者, 光照派

한국어 (Korean)
n. pl. - 자칭 천재, 광명파, 계몽주의자

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 明知を誇る人びと, 啓蒙主義者

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الجمع) الطبقه المستنيرة‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. pl. - ‮אנשים נאורים או ידענים במיוחד (בדר"כ: באירוניה)‬


 
 

Join the WikiAnswers Q&A community. Post a question or answer questions about "illuminati" at WikiAnswers.

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/  Read more
Occultism & Parapsychology Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. Copyright © 2001 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Obscure Words. © 2008 by Michael A. Fischer http://home.comcast.net/~wwftd Read more
Devil's Dictionary. Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce, 1911  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Illuminati" Read more
Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more

Search for answers directly from your browser with the FREE Answers.com Toolbar!  
Click here to download now. 

Get Answers your way! Check out all our free tools and products.

On this page:   E-mail   print Print  Link  

 

Keep Reading

Mentioned In: