Who were the Illuminati, and do they really control the world? Here's what we know about one of history's most alluring secret societies, including how you became a member The Illuminati is a name given to both a real and fictitious society.
The Illuminati was a secret society formed in Bavaria now part of modern-day Germany that existed from to β its members originally referred to themselves as Perfectibilists. The group was inspired by the ideals of the Enlightenment and founded by professor of canon law Adam Weishaupt.
He wanted to promote the education of reason and philanthropy and oppose superstition and religious influence in society.
Here, five men set out the rules that would govern the secret order. The Freemasons are a fraternal order that evolved from the guilds of stonemasons and cathedral builders of the Middle Ages. In some countries, especially the US, there has historically been a lot of paranoia about the Freemasons β in , a single-issue political movement known as the Anti-Masonic Party was even established. Due to the original Illuminati recruitment of Freemasons, the two groups have often been confused for each other.
To join the Illuminati, you had to have full consent from the other members, possess wealth, and have a good reputation within a suitable family. There was also a hierarchical system to Illuminati membership. The Illuminati did use rituals β most of which remain unknown β and pseudonyms were used to keep the identities of members a secret.
