Illuminati

"Men are unfit as they are, and must be formed; each class must be the school of trial for the next."

- Adam Weishaupt

The Illuminati is a secret society dedicated to the spiritual perfection of the individual and the clandestine domination of all civilized institutions. The name means "the illuminated ones", or those with the means to see that to which others are blind.

Background
The Illuminati is a secret society founded by Adam Weishaupt in 1776. According to a former member Stanton Dowd however, aspects of the Illuminati are claimed to have been in existence since at least the time of the Crusades. Dedicated to controlling or influencing the world from behind the scenes, the Illuminati is believed to have reached the peak of its power during the 20th century according to its former leader Lucius DeBeers. Heavily involved in political intrigue as well as scientific development, the Illuminati leadership at various times has consisted of major captains of industry, important scientists, and political leaders.

The Illuminati did not spend the next two and a half centuries (since its founding) trying to take over the world. They already had power over the world—they were merely playing with it. They decided who won elections and revolutions, which fads and fashions caught on and when they died. The Illuminati dictated the "self-evident moral values" of different locations and cultures. They started wars and destroyed countries. However, that begin to change...

Sometime between 2027 and 2052, Lucius DeBeers stepped down from active leadership due to health problems and was put in stasis by his successor Morgan Everett. Everett's former protégé, Bob Page, became disillusioned with the Illuminati and broke away to form the splinter group Majestic-12, and the Illuminati's bankers and treasurers, the Knights Templar, were destroyed by Interpol with the help of Joseph Manderley.

20th Century
Not much is known about Illuminati activities during the 20th century, but according to Lucius DeBeers, John F. Kennedy is placed into power with the help of Illuminati conspirators. Kennedy is assasinated shortly after making a speech at Columbia University implying the existence of major conspiracy:"The high office of the President has been used to foment a plot to destroy the American's freedom, and before I leave office, I must inform the citizens of this plight."

- Quote attributed to John F. Kennedy

2027
Utilizing the vast resources at their disposal, the Illuminati seek to impede progress made in mechanical augmentation research through clandestine military operations (Belltower Associates, Tyrants) and manipulation of the media (Picus TV).

2052
But all was not well for the Illuminati, however. Between 2027 and 2052, their control began to erode. Plague, disasters, and the dissolution of the middle class weakened the Illuminati's grip on society. Most devastating of all was the rise of the global information net, which allowed people to communicate and exchange knowledge without Illuminati interference. The most determined Illuminati efforts—like the Echelon project designed to monitor all net traffic—met with limited success at best.

The Illuminati are at risk of being overthrown by Majestic-12, and attempt to recruit JC Denton to help them defeat the more powerful splinter group. They also fund and control both the NSF and the French resistance group Silhouette.

After the Collapse
"We are humankind’s servants, not their puppeteers. We knew that human society could not respond to a single voice, so we engineered these organizations. With these fronts, we can optimally lead civilization toward a bright future."

- Deus Ex: Invisible War Morgan Everett has either died or stepped down as leader, and Nicolette DuClare and Chad Dumier take over as new leaders. They form the capitalist WTO and its rival, the Order Church, a religious group, to disguise their true intentions of controlling the world. They have their own type of elite troopers. Paralleling this, they also own two rival coffee shops, Pequod's and Queequeg's. If Alex chooses to help them, they bring about a new era of control called the 'Age of Light', where they control the entire world from a space station.

Structure
A council of five led the Illuminati (and one Prima Illuminatus among the five) and the extremely wealthy banks created by the Knights Templar during the Crusades financed them.

The organizational structure of the Illuminati shares features with Freemasronry as well as more ancient religious mystery cults such as Mithraism. The hierarchy of the Illuminati is based around "degrees of illuminism" in which higher levels confer greater access to the secrets of the organization. This organizational secrecy is intended to inspire loyalty among new recruits, although the Illuminati are implied to directly recruit leaders of industry and scientists directly into the upper echelons of leadership. In order to progress to higher degrees of illuminism, members are obligated to practice Haratha Yoga exercises in the morning. According to Stanton Dowd, the Illuminati's only real secret is a technique of meditation - "a way of imaging your body dissolving into light." At the top of the Illuminati leadership is the "Supreme Enlightened" - a title which has been held by Lucius DeBeers for most of the 20th century.

During Bob Page's restructuring of former Illuminati elements into MJ-12, he replaced the pseudo-religious "degrees of illuminism" hierarchy with "secular" security clearances - each of which is named after angels. According to Stanton Dowd, Page never progressed beyond 'Master of Tyre' due to consistently sleeping during morning yoga execises. Curiously 'Master of Tyre' is also the name of one of the real world Allied Masonic Degrees.

Gallery
Illuminati