Title: The True Philosophy of the Illuminati By: Adam Weishaupt – Edited and translated by Barry Seabourne Format. 150 pages/ 70,000 words Hardback (the same as the Secret School of wisdom)
Description: The first book published in English by the leader of the Order of the Illuminati To many people the Illuminati were, and still are, a shadowy, sinister and secret group of men who wanted to, and in some people’s minds still want to, take over and change the world for their own ends. The only true Order of the Illuminati was started by Adam Weishaupt who was born in 1748 in southern Germany. He started his famous secret Order on 1 May 1776 in Ingolstadt, Bavaria. The Order grew quickly until 1784 when it had around 2000 members. Two years later Adam Weishaupt was forced to leave Bavaria when his life was threatened by the Elector of Bavaria, Karl Theodor. He escaped to Regensburg, and then to Gotha, near Leipzig, where he was given protection by Duke Ernst II in Friedenstein Castle. Here he continued to live peaceably for the rest of his life and wrote many books to clarify his own and his Order’s beliefs and aims. This book was his first book on the philosophy of the sacred wisdom of Illuminsim. It was first published in German in 1787, and this is the first translation in English of any Adam Weishaupt book! In this book he writes of his world vision and how he hoped Illuminism would help humanity in the search for enlightenment, freedom and truth.
Some believe that the Order of the Illuminati still exists and its membership consists of powerful world leaders, major bankers, and others who aim to control all aspects of the civilised world today. The existence of the true Order of the Illuminati has for over two hundred years inspired various spiritual groups, books, movies, conspiracy theories, and has been accused of attacks, bombings, and other outrages across the globe, without a shred of real evidence and solid research. At last the English speaking world can read this seminal and definitive original text and decide what really happened.
Market Information:
In the UK there is great interest in the Illuminati. Indeed on average 3,013 UK residents search Google for the term ‘Illuminati’ compared to only 654 searches containing the word Freemasonry. To see what all the fuss is about simply put ‘Illuminati’ into Google and sit back! You will see articles in every major newspaper including the Guardian and the Daily Mail. You will also discover a flood of novels and films in popular culture featuring or about the elusive Illuminati - including of course, Dan Brown’s multi-million pound bestseller and film ‘Angels and Demons/Illuminati.’
If you put ‘illuminati’ into Amazon search it brings up 1,777 results - the majority of which are ‘conspiracy theory’ titles desperate to try and prove something but they have no real information this book will give the REAL information for the first time and they will buy it even just to try and disprove it!
But who is doing these searches and taking part in this interest?
Conspiracy theorists The first and most active group of Illuminati enthusiasts are the conspiracy theorists. Many of which believe the illuminati are a group who run the world secretly at the top of freemasons and Illuminati and propose that world events are being controlled and manipulated by this secret society. Conspiracy theorists have claimed that many notable people were or are members of the Illuminati. Presidents of the United States are a common target for such claims. Other theorists contend that a variety of historical events from Waterloo, the French Revolution, President John F. Kennedy's assassination to an alleged communist plot to hasten the New World Order by infiltrating the Hollywood film industry, were all orchestrated by the Illuminati. For many years these enthusiasts have been trying to find out what the real Illuminati did. Going to such lengths and infiltrating the American president's private members club bohemian grove (which uses the illuminati owl symbol as it logo) or taping Yale’s Skull and Bones secret society. Now at last the real rituals have been found and published they will be very excited to read them.
Masonic Enthusiasts The world of Freemasonry is full of ritual collectors who buy every Craft ritual, every higher degree and compare them. Constantly researching where Orders come from, how they evolved and comparing minute changes or differences. These areas of the Masonic market were so interested in the Illuminati that I am told the one issue of AQC that had an article about them, sold out. In addition to this it’s worth nothing that the appearance of this book proposal is part of growing trend in Illuminati interest caused by our previous publication. Freemasons in both London and Washington who are very well known in some of the higher degrees, have had original Illuminati jewels and regalia cast and put on sale. They have had sashes and regalia reproduced. Now all they lack is a book with the rituals included.
Historians/ Enthusiasts Its not just the above named who have an interest in the Illuminati. There are many people with a far more detached interest who study the Order both in terms of their interesting position in history and politics (it was the Illuminati who first coined the term ‘Europe’) and in terms of interest in the Order as and in of itself. Dan Brown’s books and films such as ‘Angels and Demons’ are a good example of the Order’s mainstream appeal
Comparable Titles
This is a project that is waiting to burst onto the market and has the potential to become such a huge international and commercial success. I have been considering recently who to approach with this project and then I noticed your recent publication THE SECRET SCHOOL OF WISDOM
I also noticed that Amazon published PHILOS REPLY by BARON VON KNIGGE. Currently this is the only other title available in English by a member of the original Bavarian Order of the Illuminati, translated from German into English. I have also contacted Amazon with notice of my proposal at the same time I contacted you to publish Adam Weishaupt's first edition of 1787.
The high quality of your publishing would suggest to me that Lewis Masonic would be the more suitable publisher for Weishaupt's first edition on his Order of the Illuminati and his philosophy of Illuminism.
About the Translator / Editor
My name is Barry Seabourne and I was Head of the Salisbury Art School, Wiltshire until 2004. Currently I am an author and I am working on two books - a 'fiction-real' THE SECRET ORDER, and a non-fiction title - ART AND PHILOSOPHY OF ILLUMINISM. I also currently re-launching the International Society of Philosophy as a website to be alive around June 2015. For four years I was the Managing Editor of the Theosophical Society's magazine ESOTERICA.