What is the social unit by which the Power Elite enforce their policy of divide and rule to ensure that the people never rise up and overthrow them? What is the mechanism for the transmission of harmful, irrational and dangerous religious beliefs? The answer is the same in every case - THE FAMILY. The family is the ultimate sacred cow. Yet what is the archetypal "nuclear" family other than two mediocre parents and a spoiled, consumerist pair of children? How can this express humanity's yearning to reach for the stars, to create a bridge to heaven and form a Community of Gods? This book, by the Pythagorean Illuminati, explores the ideas of the radical 19th century French thinkers Henri de Saint-Simon and Charles Fourier. Did these utopian visionaries, advocates of a much more communitarian approach to life, offer the solution to humanity's ills? Should Fourier's concept of the "phalanx" - the perfect community - be the new basis of society?
For readers of Jill Lepore, Joseph J. Ellis, and Tony Horwitz comes a lively, thought-provoking intellectual history of the golden age of American utopianism—and the bold, revolutionary, and eccentric visions for the future put forward by five of history’s most influential utopian movements. In the wake of the Enlightenment and the onset of industrialism, a generation of dreamers took it upon themselves to confront the messiness and injustice of a rapidly changing world. To our eyes, the utopian communities that took root in America in the nineteenth century may seem ambitious to the point of delusion, but they attracted members willing to dedicate their lives to creating a new social order and to asking the bold question What should the future look like? In Paradise Now, Chris Jennings tells the story of five interrelated utopian movements, revealing their relevance both to their time and to our own. Here is Mother Ann Lee, the prophet of the Shakers, who grew up in newly industrialized Manchester, England—and would come to build a quiet but fierce religious tradition on the opposite side of the Atlantic. Even as the society she founded spread across the United States, the Welsh industrialist Robert Owen came to the Indiana frontier to build an egalitarian, rationalist utopia he called the New Moral World. A decade later, followers of the French visionary Charles Fourier blanketed America with colonies devoted to inaugurating a new millennium of pleasure and fraternity. Meanwhile, the French radical Étienne Cabet sailed to Texas with hopes of establishing a communist paradise dedicated to ideals that would be echoed in the next century. And in New York’s Oneida Community, a brilliant Vermonter named John Humphrey Noyes set about creating a new society in which the human spirit could finally be perfected in the image of God. Over time, these movements fell apart, and the national mood that had inspired them was drowned out by the dream of westward expansion and the waking nightmare of the Civil War. Their most galvanizing ideas, however, lived on, and their audacity has influenced countless political movements since. Their stories remain an inspiration for everyone who seeks to build a better world, for all who ask, What should the future look like? Praise for Paradise Now “Uncommonly smart and beautifully written . . . a triumph of scholarship and narration: five stand-alone community studies and a coherent, often spellbinding history of the United States during its tumultuous first half-century . . . Although never less than evenhanded, and sometimes deliciously wry, Jennings writes with obvious affection for his subjects. To read Paradise Now is to be dazzled, humbled and occasionally flabbergasted by the amount of energy and talent sacrificed at utopia’s altar.”—The New York Times Book Review “Writing an impartial, respectful account of these philanthropies and follies is no small task, but Mr. Jennings largely pulls it off with insight and aplomb. Indulgently sympathetic to the utopian impulse in general, he tells a good story. His explanations of the various reformist credos are patient, thought-provoking and . . . entertaining.”—The Wall Street Journal “As a tour guide, Jennings is thoughtful, engaging and witty in the right doses. . . . He makes the subject his own with fresh eyes and a crisp narrative, rich with detail. . . . In the end, Jennings writes, the communards’ disregard for the world as it exists sealed their fate. But in revisiting their stories, he makes a compelling case that our present-day ‘deficit of imagination’ could be similarly fated.”—San Francisco Chronicle
This American underground classic is a rollicking cosmic mystery featuring Albert Einstein and James Joyce as the ultimate space/time detectives. One fateful evening in a suitably dark, beer-soaked Swiss rathskeller, a wild and obscure Irishman named James Joyce would become the drinking partner of an unknown physics professor called Albert Einstein. And on that same momentous night, Sir John Babcock, a terror-stricken young Englishman, would rush through the tavern door bringing a mystery that only the two most brilliant minds of the century could solve . . . or perhaps bringing only a figment of his imagination born of the paranoia of our times. An outrageous, raunchy ride through the twists and turns of mind and space, Masks of the Illuminati runs amok with all our fondest conspiracy theories to show us the truth behind the laughter . . . and the laughter in the truth. Praise for Masks of the Illuminati “I was astonished and delighted . . . Robert Anton Wilson managed to reverse every mental polarity in me, as if I had been pulled through infinity.”—Philip K. Dick “[Wilson is] erudite, witty, and genuinely scary.”—Publishers Weekly “A dazzling barker hawking tickets to the most thrilling tilt-a-whirls and daring loop-o-planes on the midway to a higher consciousness.”—Tom Robbins “Wilson is one of the most profound, important, scientific philosophers of this century—scholarly, witty, hip, and hopeful.”—Timothy Leary
Illuminati! Are They Really What the Stories Present Them To Be, or Are They Something Entirely Different? Keep Reading and Find Out! As far as secret societies that supposedly have complete control over the world are concerned, the Illuminati should be at the top of any conspiracy theorist's list… Who exactly are the Illuminati? What are they supposed to represent? Why the shroud of mystery? Is it possible that they are hatching some nefarious plans for the world or that they simply want to make the world a better place – if they even exist at all? The Order of the Illuminati and other secret societies have frequently been the subject of heated debates about their role in human history, particularly during the Renaissance. However, as the number of people who believe that the Illuminati secretly controls the world or that the whole thing is a hoax is increasing, more and more facts about the Illuminati have been twisted into falsehoods and myths, making it difficult to discern what is true and what is false. As a result, obtaining a truth regarding the Illuminati Order may be difficult, considering that their history is often rewritten and even changed by those in power. Furthermore, like any other secret organization, the Illuminati Order is meant to be kept hidden. Still, some things are not meant to stay hidden forever… If you are looking for the truth and accurate answers about Illuminati, you are in the right place! This book seeks to construct a more accurate image of the Illuminati Order based on verifiable evidence, much of which is written and accounted for by certain Secret Societies initiates, as it contains valuable information on the Illuminati, including the history, aims, beliefs, and several well-known conspiracy theories related to the group. Here is what this Illuminati guide for conspiracy lovers can offer you: The Illuminati's early beginnings and their religious background The Order's three grades – what is the meaning behind? The Illuminati and modern conspiracy theories – influence on the popular culture Symbolism, rituals, and occultism in the Illuminati Order The link between Illuminati and Freemasons explained The Illuminati's political agenda, strategies, and plans for the world – what is real and what is made up? And much more! If you are looking for answers that will shed light and reveal the truth about the "people who control the world from shadows," this book is perfect for you. Embark on a unique journey and discover the real face of the Illuminati. So, what are you waiting for?
The volumes in this set, originally published between 1953 and 1992, discuss the causes and conditions which allowed the French Revolution to happen and its impact on wider European politics and society. As well as charting key events in the revolution, the conclusion discusses the significance of the French Revolution in the context of other revolutions in both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. One of the volumes discusses whether the French Revolution is part of Germany’s progressive tradition, whilst others trace the growth of English radicalism and the growth of the French Press, showing the importance of the emergence of provincial newspapers, and examining the relationship of journalism with political power.
• Details the rise and fall of this famous and infamous Order, including its penetration of Bavarian society and its destruction by the Bavarian government • Explains the Bavarian Illuminati’s grades, rituals, ceremonies, and fundamental philosophies and examines the leaders of the Order • Contains the only surviving record of documents that were destroyed during the two World Wars The Bavarian Order of the Illuminati is the most celebrated secret society in the world. Though officially lasting only 11 years, the powerful spell and shadow cast by the Illuminati still looms in the present day, where its influence can be seen in current conspiracy beliefs and actions by powerful individuals working in the shadows. The original Order of the Illuminati was founded by Bavarian professor Adam Weishaupt in 1776. Although the order was banned and brought down by the Bavarian Elector in 1787--when he became aware of the extent to which it had infiltrated the courts, schools, and his own administration--its legend and deep influence lives on to this day. Charting the rise and fall of this infamous order, this book--first published in French in 1915 and never before available in English--remains the definitive history of the Order of the Bavarian Illuminati. It also offers a revealing look at the world that spawned and shaped it: a ceaseless ferment of revolutionary and occult ideas and the ceaseless attempts by crown and church to suppress them. Other secret societies that shared the stage with the Illuminati during these years include the Templar Strict Observance, von Hund’s Templar Freemasonry, and other Masonic lodges the Illuminati targeted to subvert for their own purposes. Many of the documents the author consulted for the writing of this book were destroyed during the two World Wars, making this book the only surviving record of many of the order’s secrets. The author explains the Bavarian Illuminati’s grades, rituals, and ceremonies as well as its fundamental philosophies. He paints vivid portraits of the leaders of the order, including Weishaupt, Baron Knigge, and Xavier von Zwack. He reveals how Weishaupt early on decided to subvert the existing German Freemason Lodge as a shortcut to gain esoteric hegemony over the occult world, all in order to extend Illuminati influence into the society at large and the government. The author also provides extensive detail of the order’s eventual destruction by the Bavarian government. In addition to its revelation of little-known secrets of the Illuminati Order, the author also sheds new light on much of the occult life of this time, including the activities of figures such as Cagliostro and Mirabeau and other active groups such as Freemason chapters, the Rosicrucians, and the Martinists.
"New England and the Bavarian Illuminati" by Vernon Stauffer is an academic text that examines the existence of hidden societies in the United States of America. These secret organizations have been the inspiration for countless stories throughout the years. While many are mere legends, others are very much based in fact, though they might be different than what people believe them to be.
