The Illuminati as Political Ideology
Political ideology has always permeated conspiracy theories. From the belief in an almighty native chief that threatened colonists in the 17th century to the modern Q-Anon, the belief in conspiracy theories has always had a tine piercing the status quo. Socialists conjured up the belief in the machinations of capitalist subversion of the legal system (they weren't always wrong about this either). The belief that secret societies were quietly turning the population against the status quo seems to have been the domain of conservative angst over the populous' revolt against their values. We have to look no further than the ubiquitous belief in the Illuminati.
Even the original, actual Illuminati that merely sought to spread the philosophy of the Enlightenment was vilified as seeking a coup against the theocratic Bavarian government. This belief spread during the French revolution as it was understood (though never proven) that they had infiltrated Free Mason lodges, Jacobin groups, with the sole intent to usher in what was to become known as "The reign of Terror." While it is true that they preached a form of Deism that was widespread amongst the intelligentsia of Europe and the New World, their advocacy was not in violent measures.
The Illuminati conspiracy represents conservatism's last attempt to maintain relevance in a changing world by marginalizing the new voices as being under the thrall of an evil force. When Alex Jones claimed that Lady Gaga's Superbowl halftime show was going to be an Illuminati-Satanic ritual, he was merely claiming that he not only didn't like it but also couldn't be bothered to understand why. Claims like this also point out that there is no foundation other than dislike to the opposition to the changing values. Referring to a non-existence, but definitely evil, mastermind behind the change is the last resort they have before reverting to a religious dogmatism position. The Illuminati provides a villain that is much easier to argue against than just the very concept of "change."
The advantage of the Illuminati conspiracy is that it is nebulous enough to fill any void whether that void is railing against women voting, equal rights for homosexuals, or a rise in secularism amongst the population. The person citing the society does not have to know anything about them and since they do not exist the audience will just assume the speaker knows what they are talking about. They will also assume that the speaker is talking about a thing, rather than what he's actually discussing--a phenomenon. It is difficult to argue that your position is right when you have no solid position other than an appeal to tradition, but if a folk demon is behind it than your opponent's position can be completely disregarded.
The Illuminati was probably chosen for this role because the name is so close to the French word for occultism (Illumines). Despite that occultism was a fad in the 18th-19th century this conflation worked to associate a group that despised supernatural explanations with communing with devils and demons. Things that the group never believed existed.
Even the original, actual Illuminati that merely sought to spread the philosophy of the Enlightenment was vilified as seeking a coup against the theocratic Bavarian government. This belief spread during the French revolution as it was understood (though never proven) that they had infiltrated Free Mason lodges, Jacobin groups, with the sole intent to usher in what was to become known as "The reign of Terror." While it is true that they preached a form of Deism that was widespread amongst the intelligentsia of Europe and the New World, their advocacy was not in violent measures.
The Illuminati conspiracy represents conservatism's last attempt to maintain relevance in a changing world by marginalizing the new voices as being under the thrall of an evil force. When Alex Jones claimed that Lady Gaga's Superbowl halftime show was going to be an Illuminati-Satanic ritual, he was merely claiming that he not only didn't like it but also couldn't be bothered to understand why. Claims like this also point out that there is no foundation other than dislike to the opposition to the changing values. Referring to a non-existence, but definitely evil, mastermind behind the change is the last resort they have before reverting to a religious dogmatism position. The Illuminati provides a villain that is much easier to argue against than just the very concept of "change."
The advantage of the Illuminati conspiracy is that it is nebulous enough to fill any void whether that void is railing against women voting, equal rights for homosexuals, or a rise in secularism amongst the population. The person citing the society does not have to know anything about them and since they do not exist the audience will just assume the speaker knows what they are talking about. They will also assume that the speaker is talking about a thing, rather than what he's actually discussing--a phenomenon. It is difficult to argue that your position is right when you have no solid position other than an appeal to tradition, but if a folk demon is behind it than your opponent's position can be completely disregarded.
The Illuminati was probably chosen for this role because the name is so close to the French word for occultism (Illumines). Despite that occultism was a fad in the 18th-19th century this conflation worked to associate a group that despised supernatural explanations with communing with devils and demons. Things that the group never believed existed.
Comments
Post a Comment