They're Watching You! | The History of the Illuminati

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Adam Weishaupt founded the Illuminati in 1776 to establish a global revolution overthrowing religions and governments, promoting atheism for the masses and enlightened pantheism for the elite. The Illuminati aimed for an egalitarian society through control, infiltration of organizations, and enforcement of loyalty, expanding their influence beyond Germany and inspiring similar movements worldwide.

Insights

  • Adam Weishaupt, a professor of canon law, founded the Illuminati in 1776 with the goal of creating a world revolution to establish a universal republic, advocating for atheism among the masses and enlightened pantheism for the elite.
  • The Illuminati, modeled after the Jesuits, used secrecy, manipulation, and infiltration of various organizations to spread their influence, attracting intellectuals and aristocrats across Europe and emphasizing absolute loyalty to the order, even sanctioning crimes if ordered by superiors.

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Recent questions

  • What was the main goal of the Illuminati society?

    The Illuminati aimed to bring about a world revolution leading to a universal republic, necessitating the destruction of Christianity, all religions, and governments, replacing them with atheism for the masses and enlightened pantheism for the elite.

  • How did the Illuminati recruit members?

    The Illuminati infiltrated Freemasonry, literary societies, and libraries to spread their propaganda and recruit members, focusing on clergy, women, and common people for influence.

  • What were the key symbols of the Illuminati?

    The Illuminati's totem was the owl of Minerva, symbolizing wisdom, and they used a dot in a circle to represent the all-seeing eye of their mysterious superiors.

  • Who were the primary members of the Illuminati?

    The Illuminati attracted intellectuals and aristocrats, with members primarily coming from the 18th-century intelligentsia, including lawyers, academics, physicians, writers, and theologians.

  • How did the Illuminati enforce control over its members?

    Weishaupt enforced strict control over members, dictating their reading, thoughts, and actions, with loyalty to the order and superiors being paramount, even allowing crimes like poisonings and assassinations if ordered by superiors.

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Summary

00:00

The Illuminati: Secret Society of Enlightenment

  • On May 1st, 1776, in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Adam Weishaupt, a 28-year-old professor of canon law, led the inauguration of a new secret society, initially named the Order of Perfectabilists, later known as the Order of the Illuminati or the Illuminati Order.
  • The Illuminati aimed to bring about a world revolution leading to a universal republic, necessitating the destruction of Christianity, all religions, and governments, replacing them with atheism for the masses and enlightened pantheism for the elite.
  • Weishaupt envisioned the Illuminati as an enlightened elite ruling over a utopian society, promoting absolute equality, social fraternity, and a communism of goods.
  • The Illuminati's totem was the owl of Minerva, symbolizing wisdom, and they used a dot in a circle to represent the all-seeing eye of their mysterious superiors.
  • Weishaupt emphasized secrecy and conspiracy, modeling the Illuminati's organization after the Jesuits, aiming to manipulate and control members through deception and coercion.
  • The Illuminati infiltrated Freemasonry, literary societies, and libraries to spread their propaganda and recruit members, focusing on clergy, women, and common people for influence.
  • Weishaupt enforced strict control over members, dictating their reading, thoughts, and actions, with loyalty to the order and superiors being paramount, even allowing crimes like poisonings and assassinations if ordered by superiors.
  • The Illuminati expanded rapidly, attracting intellectuals and aristocrats, with members primarily coming from the 18th-century intelligentsia, including lawyers, academics, physicians, writers, and theologians.
  • The Illuminati's influence extended beyond Germany, with members in Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Russia, and an active cell in Naples, Italy, playing a role in the Parthenopian Republic.
  • Weishaupt's vision for the Illuminati mirrored later communist ideals, promising to free men from religious prejudices, cultivate social virtues, and lead them to universal happiness, with the order's propaganda emphasizing liberation and moral equality.

19:38

Survival and Expansion of Illuminati Cults

  • The Illuminati, despite facing suppression by Carl Theodore of Bavaria in the late 1700s, managed to survive and relocate, with key members like Vice Houft and Prince Javier von Zwaak escaping to nearby Gota for protection.
  • The exposure of the Illuminati was partly due to a disaffected member, Baron Adolf von Kinige, who accused Vice Houft of authoritarian leadership and secret Jesuitry, leading to internal conflicts within the order.
  • The concept of Illuminism was not limited to the Western world, as seen with the appearance of the Roshaniyah in Afghanistan in the 1500s, advocating for an egalitarian communistic society under the guidance of an enlightened elite.
  • Various other Illuminati cults emerged over time, such as the Alumbrados in Spain in the late 1400s, who were suspected of being a cover for a sex cult by church officials, and the Order of Knights Masons Elect Priests of the Universe in France in the early 1700s, drawing from mystical traditions like the Kabbalah and ritual magic.
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