7.1.1 Reasoned Analysis and Empirical Claims
Reasoned Analysis
Question at Issue:
How did the concept of the Illuminati as a secret world power come to be and why do people still believe in it?
Evidence and Information:
- The history of how the first group known as the Illuminati came to be
- Modern-day belief in the Illuminati as a world power
- The psychology of what contributes to the conspiratorial belief in the Illuminati
Assumptions:
- The Illuminati does not exist today and is not a world power.
- Society’s belief and acceptance of the Illuminati can have negative consequences.
Concepts:
- Bavarian Illuminati
- Governmental power
- Psychological and social issues
- Media and popular figures
Context:
- Historical
- Cultural
- Political
Point of View:
- Psychologists
- Sociologists
- Historians
Purpose:
- To understand why people believe in the Illuminati as an all-powerful secret society
- To identify the consequences of believing in the Illuminati
Implications & Consequences:
- Due to the influence of pop culture and media on society, multiple conspiracies such as the Illuminati have been given new life.
- The belief in such conspiracies negatively influences society and can bring about unnecessary fear and suspicion.
Conclusions & Interpretations:
The Illuminati was a secret society that existed in the past, but there is no evidence that it exists today. Given this lack of evidence, it can be deemed as a conspiracy theory that continues to negatively affect believers.
Disciplinary Lenses
History
Question at Issue:
What sparked the creation of the Bavarian Illuminati and how has the perception of it changed?
Evidence and Information:
- Formation of the Bavarian Illuminati
- The Illuminati in pop culture
Assumptions:
- The original goal of the Illuminati was to enlighten primarily through opposing superstition, religious influence, and abusive state power.
- While the Bavarian Illuminati started out with a relatively reasonable goal in mind, the current perception of the now-imaginary society is extreme.
Concepts:
- Political power
- Influence of religion on government
Context:
- Religious
- Political
Point of View:
- Members of the Bavarian Illuminati
- Historians
Purpose:
- To understand the origins of the Illuminati and what its goals were
- To understand how the belief in the Illuminati has evolved over time
Implications & Consequences:
- Religious fear of persecution is still prevalent in politics, and therefore the concept of such a group continues to be a pervading threat in the minds of many.
- If there is any merit to the concept of a secret world power, there currently exists no tangible historical evidence to prove such a claim.
Conclusions & Interpretations:
The Bavarian Illuminati was originally intended to change the relationship between government and religion, but the perception of the group’s influence has now become larger than life.
Psychology
Question at Issue:
How does the belief in secret societies affect individuals psychologically?
Evidence and Information:
- Conspiracies in conservatism
- Confirmation bias in pop culture
- Mental coping strategies
Assumptions:
- The belief in the Illuminati develops from a state of fear or distrust.
- Conspiracies may be a method of coping for some people but typically do more damage in the long run.
Concepts:
- Pop culture
- Cynicism
- Herd mentality
Context:
- Social
- Mental
Point of View:
- Psychologists
- Conspiracy theorists
Purpose:
- To understand why individuals believe in secret societies, specifically the Illuminati
- To understand how this belief impacts people, either positively or otherwise
Implications & Consequences:
- Due to the belief in the Illuminati, many individuals may find themselves further isolated from social groups, leading to a self-perpetuating cycle.
- Conspiracy theorists tend to have less trust in the government and frequently develop more extremist views.
Conclusions & Interpretations:
Belief in the Illuminati is often due to social isolation, which can lead to a need for cognitive coping mechanisms.
Sociology
Question at Issue:
Why is Anti-Semitism so prevalent in conspiracies such as the Illuminati?
Evidence and Information:
- Historical accounts
- International conspiracies
- Modern-day prejudice
Assumptions:
- Anti-Semitism is a form of racism and is a prevalent social issue even today.
- Like other forms of racism, Anti-Semitism is illogical and fear-based, making it an easy candidate for conspiratorial relations.
Concepts:
- Critical race theory
- Ethno-religious people
- Anti-Middle-Eastern sentiment
Context:
- Cultural
- Religious
Point of View:
- Holocaust deniers
- Jewish people
- Sociologists
Purpose:
- To analyze the social problem of Anti-Semitism and its ties to the Illuminati
- To explore how Anti-Semitism has evolved throughout history
Implications & Consequences:
- Anti-Semitism is just as irrational as conspiracy theories are, but can often be more damaging to members of society as it involves a bias against certain people rather than a mistrust of unseen forces.
- International conspiracies such as the Illuminati conspiracy may act as a kind of cover-up for the underlying racial/religious prejudices of certain individuals. When one is already inclined to mistrust a certain group, even the outlandish seems plausible.
Conclusions & Interpretations:
The Illuminati, much like aspects of Anti-Semitism, is a fear-based conspiracy regarding a controlling world power. Many such conspiracies involve powerful governmental influence, and as much of Anti-Semitism revolves around fear and suspicion, international conspiracies will almost always have ties to this centuries-old prejudice.
Empirical Claims
Inductive Reasoning
True Premise 1: The success of the Rothschilds was an example of an exceedingly influential and rich Jewish family.
True Premise 2: There is a stereotypical and biased trope throughout history that presumes that Jewish people are usually bankers or influential people.
Weak Inductive Reasoning: Jewish people must have great generational power from families like the Rothschilds’, which enables them to have worldwide influence through organizations such as the Illuminati. (Argument extrapolates based on a common racial prejudice rather than actual fact.)
Logical Conclusion: Racial prejudice concerning Jewish people has made it so this belief in their supposed power or riches is enhanced by fear and hatred. The merits or successes of such people are therefore discredited and cause for undue distrust.
Deductive Reasoning
True Premise 1: Popular conspiracies involving the government and influential people have sometimes turned out to be true.
True Premise 2: The Illuminati conspiracy has gained a lot of traction.
Weak Deductive Reasoning: The amount of traction the idea has gained would suggest that there must be some truth to the idea that the Illuminati is controlling worldwide powers. (Argument uses the bandwagon fallacy to incorrectly claim that just because the belief is common, it must be true.)
Logical Conclusion: The occasional exposure of governmental secrets or operations has understandably led to a deep mistrust for many people. This makes even outlandish ideas like the Illuminati seem plausible, although there is no credible evidence.
Abductive Reasoning
Observation: The dollar bill depicts the eye of providence on the back of it, which is a symbol commonly associated with the Illuminati.
Weak Explanation: The Illuminati must be in charge of the country because this symbol is on a piece of national tender. (Argument makes wild assumptions based on a single, uncorrelated observation; post hoc ergo propter hoc)
Logical Explanation: The eye of providence has many different interpretations and meanings, often associated with God or Christianity. Its presence on the dollar bill serves to represent the hopes of the nation, rather than a secret society controlling the government.
Logical Fallacies
Appeal to (False) Authority
There has been a popular theory that a famous celebrity, Jay-Z, is a member of the Illuminati. Since the theory emerged, Jay-Z has publicly flashed the Illuminati symbol, as well as included Illuminati-related symbols and phrases on his clothing line (Bebergal, 2014). Jay-Z has not denied his involvement with the Illuminati, which is confirmation in the eyes of many that the organization survives to this day.
Appeal to Ignorance
Some may say that the Illuminati’s continued existence has yet to be disproved; therefore, it must still exist today. This makes any argument null and void since it is not possible to accurately prove whether or not the organization does exist based on a lack of evidence.
Bandwagon Fallacy
Since a large number of people believe that the Illuminati still exists as a modern-day society, it supposedly lends more credibility to the idea. When there is a significant amount of attention placed on the existence of such an idea, people may have a hard time understanding how so many have been misled.
Causal Fallacy
During a basketball game, fans and the media noticed American singer Beyoncé behaving somewhat roboticly. They mentioned that she had zoned out and had moved her head back and forth for approximately 30 minutes. This supposedly confirmed the suspicion of Beyonce’s involvement with the Illuminati and the idea that they replace celebrities with robots that sometimes “glitch” (Krishnan, 2019).