Tagalog, Kimberly Eve S.

English 12: R41

The Illuminati

“Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the En12 Course”

“First Draft”

Sentence Outline

The Illuminati in history was a beneficial and harmless group unlike how it is being typecast in

entertainment and pop culture.

Thesis statement: In order to open up the minds of the people about the Illuminati, we should

prove that it was a beneficial and harmless group unlike how it is believed to be now.

I. Introduction

The issue of The Illuminati as an Anti-Christ organization is very rampant nowadays. Many

people believe this theory and they become very close-minded about the issue. I believe that the

Illuminati were once a beneficial group and this should be proven by this research.

II. The beliefs about The Illuminati

A. That the Illuminati in history was a beneficial group

B. That the Illuminati is a secret society that aims to promote a New World Order through

the entertainment industry.

III. Reasons why the Illuminati is a beneficial and harmless group

A. The Illuminati in history had contributions to sciences and arts.

B. The Illuminati aims for social change and even to transform the educational systems.

C. Its aim was to unify the world without violence.

Introduction

A. Significance of the Study

Now, in this time of strong media influence, we hear that secret societies control and

influence our media. We hear that many of the celebrities we idolize are actually part of these

secret societies and are considered Anti-Christs. But what is this secret society they typecast to

be evil? This research paper will dig deeper into the Illuminati and its counterparts, including

Freemasonry.

The Illuminati (“enlighted”) is a name given to several groups, both real (historical) and

fictitious. Historically the name refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret

society founded on May 1, 1776. In more modern contexts the name refers to a purported

conspiratorial organization which is alleged to mastermind events and control world affairs

through governments and corporations to establish a New World Order. In this context the

Illuminati are usually represented as a modern version or continuation of the Bavarian

Illuminati.1

This certain secret society has been said to have contributions in the past, but these

contributions were covered by the classification of this being an Anti-Christ group. It is

important for us to know the truths behind these secret societies and the benefits they have given

to us now.

B. Thesis Statement and Supporting Arguments

Thesis statement: In order to open up the minds of the people about the Illuminati, we should

prove that it was a beneficial and harmless group unlike how it is believed to be now.

1 "Illuminati." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati>.

The Illuminati in the past was called the “Enlightened” and many of them emerged

during the enlightenment period. The Enlightenment thinkers were also believed to be part of

The Illuminati. These Enlightenment thinkers contributed much to Science. The Science that we

have now came from these Enlightenment thinkers and they have greatly influenced the world

through this.

C. Scope and Limitations

The scope of my paper is The Illuminati and its counterparts, including Freemasons. It

will present mainly on the contributions the said societies have given in history. It will also

present the Illuminati in the context of popular culture. It will also include the history of the said

societies and how they emerged.

My paper will be limited to determining the contributions the said secret societies had

and the benefits they have given to us in present time.

Background of the Topic

The Illuminati (plural of Latin illuminatus, "enlightened") is a name given to several

groups, both real (historical) and fictitious. Historically the name refers to the Bavarian

Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on May 1, 1776 in Ingolstadt (Upper

Bavaria), as the Order of the Illuminati. 2 It had an initial membership of five, by Jesuit-taught

Adam Weishaupt. It was made up of freethinkers as an offshoot of the Enlightenment and seems

to have been modeled on the Freemasons. The Illuminati's members took a vow of secrecy and

pledged obedience to their superiors. Members were divided into three main classes, each with

several degrees, and many Illuminati chapters drew membership from existing Masonic lodges.3

The founder- Adam Weishaupt was a Bavarian professor of law and he recruited his first

brothers from among his students. Like the Jesuits, the Illuminati brotherhood was run on

military lines. Members were requested to surrender individual judgment and will. Like earlier

secret societies Weishaupt’s Illuminati promised to reveal an ancient wisdom.4 Weishaupt was

initiated into the Masonic Lodge "Theodor zum guten Rath", at Munich in 1777. His project of

"illumination, enlightening the understanding by the sun of reason, which will dispel the clouds

of superstition and of prejudice" was an unwelcome reform.5 He had a goal of “perfecting human

nature” through education to be one with nature, freedom from government and organized

religion. He started working towards combining his system of Illuminism with that of

Freemasonry.

In 1777, Karl Theodor became ruler of Bavaria and his government banned all secret

societies including the illuminati.

2 "Illuminati." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati>.3 Ibid4 Booth, The Secret History Of The World, 2008, p 3695 "Adam Weishaupt." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Weishaupt>.

It is known that Illuminism is combined with Freemasonry. It emerged in the late 16 th to

early 17th century. Freemasonry is a world-wide secret organization professing to be religious in

character, having as its object the utter demoralization of the masses, the destruction of all civil

and religious authority, and the establishing of a universal God-less state with Masons in

control.6 It consists of a Masonic Lodge which is the basic organizational unit of Freemasonry.

Between 1797 and 1798 Augustin Barruel's Memoirs Illustrating the History of

Jacobinism and John Robison's Proofs of a Conspiracy both publicized the theory that the

Illuminati had survived and represented an ongoing international conspiracy, including the claim

that it was behind the French Revolution.7 Until today, the Illuminati is still believed to be

behind the different happenings that the world faced such as the 9/11 terrorist bombing, the

assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the New World Order conspiracy theory, etc.

Some famous celebrities are also believed to be members of the Illuminati and they have

reflected this on their works. Some of those famous celebrities are Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Mozart,

Beethoven, etc.

The Enlightenment Thinkers

The Illuminati called themselves “The Enlightened Ones”. These “enlighted ones”

emerged during the Enlightenment Period and they contributed much to the sciences and

philosophies we have today.

In the year 1717, many men came into the fraternity who were called “freethinkers”. It

means that they chose to think for themselves and were not able to accept many things officially

taught by the churches. 8

6 Clune, Free Masonry, 1925, p 57 "Illuminati." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati>.8 A Past Master, Freemasonry: A Candid Examination, 1934, p 56

The High Enlightenment (1730-1780) Centered on the dialogues and publications of the

French “philosophes” (Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Buffon and Diderot), the High

Enlightenment might best be summed up by one historian's summary of Voltaire's "Philosophical

Dictionary": "a chaos of clear ideas." Foremost among these was the notion that everything in the

universe could be rationally demystified and cataloged. The signature publication of the period

was Diderot's "Encyclopédie" (1751-77), which brought together leading authors to produce an

ambitious compilation of human knowledge.9 Secret societies—the Freemasons, the Bavarian

Illuminati, the Rosicrucians—flourished, offering European men (and a few women) new modes

of fellowship, esoteric ritual and mutual assistance. Coffeehouses, newspapers and literary salons

emerged as new venues for ideas to circulate.10 Enlightened rationality gave way to the wildness

of Romanticism, but 19th-century Liberalism and Classicism—not to mention 20th-century

Modernism—all owe a heavy debt to the thinkers of the Enlightenment.11

Equality and Fraternity

One of the aims of the Illuminati and Freemasonry is to achieve equality and fraternity

among the people. True fraternity and equality stood as the ideals sought by every lodge.

Freemasons knew full well that in the larger society there were ranks and stations, but inside the

lodges, “in the citizenry we are members of one body to which we all belong… in our society

where there is this equality wherein we know no station.”12

The Freemasons considered one another as brothers. It is their order to have a society of

confraternity and equality. They render to one another the honor and deference that is justly due

to them amidst their rank in civil society.

9 "Enlightenment." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. <http://www.history.com/topics/enlightenment>.10 Ibid11 Ibid12 Jacob, Living The Enlightenment, 1991, p 147

The Freemasons were also one of the first societies to accept women. There were

moments in the eighteenth century when the Enlightenment endorsed a new social and economic

reality that afforded greater freedom and equality to a very few women. By 1780s their

participation, particularly in French freemasonry, was increasing commonplace.13 They

considered everyone as equals and they helped promote fraternity among the people in that time.

Liberty for the Women

Freemasonry became a way of life for some the French women. It provided them chances

to hold their charitable activities. It also provided a center for female friendship and hospitality.

Their equality among themselves increased as they helped the abused. In their ceremonies, the

ritual language began to demand equality in knowledge, wealth, and influence. Women

freemasons took up the educative ideals of the Enlightenment.14 The women began to develop

justifications for their participation in all social institutions and they acclaimed their ability to

live out the valued Masonic ideals.

“The moment when the feudal tyranny lost its power in France, it was, without doubt the

epoch when women tasted the first fruits of liberty; the century of Louis the Great put the

finishing touches to the light of justice.”15

Conclusion

The Illuminati is a secret society that aims to perfect human nature through education, to

free us from the government, and to have an organized religion. Many people tend to believe that

the Illuminati is behind the many happenings in the world, such as the French Revolution, the

9/11 terrorist attack, etc. Some famous celebrities are even believed to be part of this secret

society. They are believed to be Anti-Christ and they reflected this in their works. The Illuminati

13 Ibid, p 13814 Ibid, p 14015 Ibid

is also believed to be a group of Anti-Christs who wants to change the world. These beliefs have

been labeled to the Illuminati in the entertainment industry and in popular culture. When we see

the bizarre costumes and actions of Lady Gaga, we tend to assume that she is part of the

Illuminati and that she is an Anti-Christ.

In order to open up the minds of the people about the Illuminati, we should prove that it

was a beneficial and harmless group unlike how it is believed to be now.

The Enlightenment thinkers who contributed much on Philosophy and Science were

known to be part of the Illuminati. The Enlightenment period opened up new opportunities for

the people during that time. It offered the people a new venue for ideas to circulate thus giving

new information and knowledge.

The Illuminati also promoted equality and fraternity during those times. The members of

the society treated one another as brothers. They treated everyone equality no matter what the

rank is of that person in society.

The secret societies also gave way to the liberty for the women. Freemasons were

considered one of the first societies to accept women. They provided chances for the women to

hold their charitable activities. It also became a way for the women to be shown friendship and

hospitality. As the women held charitable activities to help the abused, they began to increase

equality among themselves. The women were able to participate in the Masonic ceremonies and

they were treated as equals.

The Illuminati and its other counterparts like the freemasons, was beneficial in history.

With the three proofs said, it showed that they did no harm. In fact, they helped develop the

world. There has also been no proof that the Illuminati was behind all the cruel happenings that

occurred in the past. The proofs gathered showed that they were in fact beneficial in history

unlike how it is being typecasted in entertainment and popular culture.

Recommendations for Future Study

My conclusions are significant in my research because it showed and summarized all the

data that has been gathered. It showed the contributions of The Illuminati in the past and

contradicted on what the mass says about the said society.

The mass would benefit from this research because it would state the truths about the

controversial secret society and it would open up their minds on the said topic. It would make

them think twice on what the media and the entertainment industry typecasts certain groups.

For future researchers, I recommend the further study of Freemasonry and its link to the

Illuminati in detail. I would also recommend the further study of the other secret societies that

are counterparts of Freemasonry and Illuminati.

Bibliography

1. A Past Master. Freemasonry: A Candid Explanation. London: Burns Oates &

Washbourne Ltd., 1934.

2. Booth, Mark. The Secret History of the World. New York: Overlook, 2008.

3. Clune B.A..L.P.H..B.C.L., Geo. “Its Origin, Aims, and Methods”. Freemasonry. Ireland,

1925.

4. Jacob, Margaret C. Living The Enlightenment. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.,

1991.

5. "Adam Weishaupt." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Weishaupt>.

6. "Enlightenment." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

<http://www.history.com/topics/enlightenment>.

7. "Illuminati." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati>.