slowmutant wrote:
The Illuminati might have existed at one time, like during Europe's medieval period. But who can bring forth anything conlcusive to say that they exist to this day?
Not mediaeval: There was group called themself "Illuminaten", under the leadership of Adam Weishaupt. He founded this group in the 1780 and which disappeared after prosecution and inner conflicts in the 1810.
His ideas was primary an idea of the Enlightenment, in which the eduction of the members and the education of the people would lead to a democratic. So the statutes took a great emphasize on education and discussion. They agreed secrecy about the goal to overthrow the existing governments even to freshly recruited members.
For a while he was able to recruit quite prominent people, like Goethe, Duke Ernst of Sachsen-Gotha, Duke Carl August of Sachsen-Weimar, Freiherr von Knigge, etc.
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If we compare the goals of Adam Weishaupt with today's Europe, there would be on his point of view no reason to maintain his group, because in Europe is quite close to his ideas, which were not insulated in his time. I. Kant e.g. wrote in "Vom ewigen Frieden" that peace in Europe could be best archived via confederation of republics.