Adam Weishaupt

Adam Weishaupt was a German philosopher and professor who founded the Order of the Illuminati, a secret society that aimed to promote the ideals of the Enlightenment and oppose the influence of religion and superstition on society. He was born in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, in 1748 and lost his father at an early age. He was raised by his godfather, Johann Adam Freiherr von Ickstatt, who was a professor of law and a proponent of rationalism. Weishaupt studied at a Jesuit school and later graduated from the University of Ingolstadt with a doctorate of law in 1768. He became a professor of law in 1772 and converted to Protestantism. He was also a Freemason and a follower of the empirical philosophy of Johann Georg Heinrich Feder. Weishaupt founded the Illuminati on May 1, 1776, with the initial name of Bund der Perfektibilisten (Covenant of Perfectibility). He adopted the name of Brother Spartacus within the order. The Illuminati was based on the principles of equality, freedom, secularism, and reason. It had a hierarchical structure with different degrees of initiation and a complex system of symbols and rituals. The members were recruited from among the educated elite of Europe and America, especially from among the Freemasons. Some notable members included Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Johann Gottfried Herder, Christoph Friedrich Nicolai, Adolph Freiherr Knigge, Franz Xaver von Zwackh, and Thomas Jefferson. The Illuminati had a political agenda of reforming society and overthrowing the existing order. They sought to infiltrate and influence various institutions such as governments, churches, universities, and other secret societies. They also engaged in espionage, counter-espionage, propaganda, and subversion. They were opposed by the conservative forces of their time, especially by the Catholic Church and the monarchy. They faced persecution and suppression from the Bavarian government, which issued several edicts banning secret societies and confiscating their documents. The Illuminati was officially dissolved in 1785, but some historians believe that it continued to operate underground or merged with other groups. Weishaupt fled from Bavaria in 1785 and sought refuge in Gotha under the protection of Duke Ernst II of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. He spent the rest of his life writing and publishing several works defending his views and justifying his actions. He also maintained correspondence with some of his former associates and tried to revive the Illuminati in different forms. He died in Gotha in 1830 at the age of 82. Weishaupt's legacy is controversial and disputed. Some regard him as a visionary thinker and a champion of enlightenment values. Others see him as a dangerous conspirator and a subversive agent. His name and his order have been associated with various conspiracy theories that claim that they are behind major historical events such as the French Revolution , the American Revolution , the World Wars , and the New World Order . His influence can be seen in popular culture through novels , movies , games , music , and art that feature or reference him or his order.