Adam Weishaupt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adam Weishaupt
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1799 portrait of Weishaupt
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| Born |
Johann Adam Weishaupt
6 February 1748 |
| Died | 18 November 1830 (aged 82) |
| Era | Enlightenment era |
| Region | Western Philosophy |
| School | Empiricism |
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Main interests
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Epistemology, Metaphysics, Ethics |
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Influences
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Influenced
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Johann Adam Weishaupt (pronounced [ˈjoːhan ˈʔaːdam ˈvaɪshaʊpt]; 6 February 1748 – 18 November 1830) was a German thinker and a professor. He taught about laws and later founded a group called the Illuminati.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Adam Weishaupt was born on February 6, 1748, in a place called Ingolstadt in Bavaria. When he was five years old, his father passed away. After this, his godfather, Johann Adam Freiherr von Ickstatt, took care of him. Both his father and godfather were professors of law at the University of Ingolstadt.
His godfather believed in the ideas of the Age of Enlightenment, which was a time when people focused on using reason and science to understand the world. This way of thinking greatly influenced young Weishaupt.
Weishaupt started school at a Jesuit school when he was seven. He later went to the University of Ingolstadt and earned a special degree in law when he was 20. In 1772, he became a professor of law. The next year, he got married.
After the Pope closed down the Jesuit order in 1773, Weishaupt became a professor of canon law. This was a type of law that only Jesuits had taught before.
Founding the Illuminati
Weishaupt wanted to use the idea of secret groups for a good purpose, to help people. He felt he was doing what leaders should have done.
On May 1, 1776, Johann Adam Weishaupt started a secret group called the "Illuminati" in Bavaria. The word "Illuminati" comes from a Latin word, Iluminatus, which means "enlightened." Weishaupt himself used the secret name "Brother Spartacus" within the group.
The Illuminati wanted to free people from old religious rules and change governments that were not fair. Some people believed the group wanted to make everyone equal and free. Others thought its goal was to fight against religion and promote using reason instead.
The group was set up like a secret network. Members reported to a leader they didn't know, which helped keep things secret.
In 1777, Weishaupt joined a Masonic lodge in Munich. He wanted to "enlighten" people by using reason to get rid of old beliefs and unfair ideas. He used Freemasonry to find new members for his own group. His goal was to make people better through education, hoping to create a society where people lived freely without strict governments or organized religion. Weishaupt and another leader, Adolph Freiherr Knigge, helped the group grow a lot.
A famous thinker named Immanuel Kant believed that "Enlightenment" meant people should dare to think for themselves. However, Weishaupt's Illuminati group told its members exactly what to read and think. This was different from Kant's idea of independent thinking. One expert noted that the Illuminati's rules actually stopped members from thinking for themselves.
Weishaupt's strong ideas and words were not always popular. In 1784, some of his group's writings were found and seen as dangerous. Because of this, the government in Bavaria banned the Illuminati. Weishaupt lost his job at the university and had to leave Bavaria.
Life in Exile
After leaving Bavaria, Weishaupt received help from Duke Ernest II of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. He lived in Gotha and wrote many books about the Illuminati. These books included A Complete History of the Persecutions of the Illuminati in Bavaria (1785) and An Apology for the Illuminati (1786).
Adam Weishaupt passed away in Gotha on November 18, 1830. He was buried next to his son Wilhelm in a Protestant cemetery in Berlin. After the Illuminati group was banned, it didn't leave any lasting impact, even on its former members.
What People Thought of Weishaupt
People had very different ideas about Weishaupt and what he wanted to achieve. Some, like Augustin Barruel, thought his goals of "Equality and Liberty" were dangerous. Others, like John Robison, saw him as a "human devil."
However, some people had a more positive view. Thomas Jefferson, a former U.S. President, thought Weishaupt was an "enthusiastic Philanthropist." This means he was a kind person who wanted to help others. Jefferson believed Weishaupt wanted to improve humanity and thought that Jesus Christ's goal was to teach people to govern themselves.
Weishaupt himself wrote a book in 1787 called A Brief Justification of my Intentions. In it, he defended his actions. Author Tony Page explained that Weishaupt wanted to teach his followers to be very moral and kind, using reason and the idea of treating others as you wish to be treated. He hoped that if his followers became important leaders, they could make society better.
Page said that Weishaupt's plan was very hopeful and perhaps a bit too optimistic. He might have had some flaws, but his plan was not evil or violent. It's sad that someone who tried to teach good values and kindness became a target of "conspiracy" theories today.
Works
Philosophical Works
- (1775) De Lapsu Academiarum Commentatio Politica.
- (1786) Über die Schrecken des Todes – eine philosophische Rede.
- (1786) Über Materialismus und Idealismus.
- (1788) Geschichte der Vervollkommnung des menschlichen Geschlechts.
- (1788) Über die Gründe und Gewißheit der Menschlichen Erkenntniß.
- (1788) Über die Kantischen Anschauungen und Erscheinungen.
- (1788) Zweifel über die Kantischen Begriffe von Zeit und Raum.
- (1793) Über Wahrheit und sittliche Vollkommenheit.
- (1794) Über die Lehre von den Gründen und Ursachen aller Dinge.
- (1794) Über die Selbsterkenntnis, ihre Hindernisse und Vorteile.
- (1797) Über die Zwecke oder Finalursachen.
- (1802) Über die Hindernisse der baierischen Industrie und Bevölkerung.
- (1804) Die Leuchte des Diogenes.
- (1817) Über die Staats-Ausgaben und Auflagen.
- (1818) Über das Besteuerungs-System.
Works About the Illuminati
- (1786) Apologie der Illuminaten.
- (1786) Vollständige Geschichte der Verfolgung der Illuminaten in Bayern.
- (1786) Schilderung der Illuminaten.
- (1787) Einleitung zu meiner Apologie.
- (1787) Einige Originalschriften des Illuminatenordens...
- (1787) Nachtrage von weitern Originalschriften...
- (1787) Kurze Rechtfertigung meiner Absichten.
- (1787) Nachtrag zur Rechtfertigung meiner Absichten.
- (1787) Apologie des Mißvergnügens und des Übels.
- (1787) Das Verbesserte System der Illuminaten.
- (1788) Der ächte Illuminat, oder die wahren, unverbesserten Rituale der Illuminaten.
- (1795) Pythagoras, oder Betrachtungen über die geheime Welt- und Regierungs-Kunst.
Works by Adam Weishaupt in English
- (2008) Diogenes' Lamp, or an Examination of Our Present Day Morality and Enlightenment, translated by Amelia Gill.
- (2015) The Secret School of Wisdom: The Authentic Rituals and Doctrines of the Illuminati, translated by Jeva Singh-Anand.
Images for kids
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A Death mask of Adam Weishaupt
See Also
In Spanish: Adam Weishaupt para niños
