Progress of Enlightenment: A Brief Overview of the Practical Execution of the System of the Illuminati

5. the light has burned in the world for so many centuries, it must be transmuted with retorts an allusion to alchemy, suggesting the process of enlightenment requires careful, scientific manipulation if people wish to see the pleasure of truth and feel the joy of it.

19. After the vain phantoms and spirit-mirages have been destroyed, cast off the shackles of a terrible religion, which also made centuries of cowardly slaves, destroy the thrones of despotism, break the scepters of the tyrants, exterminate the priests, and topple the altars in order to restore humanity to the rights of nature, wherein the law is our guide and only that which initiates it governs.

20. To transform slumbering forces into active ones and to transform those currently active into slumbering ones is the highest undertaking of an enlightener.

21. The slumbering forces are those parties of people who are raised above the rights of the lower rabble; these must be cleansed of prejudices. This endeavor must be directed toward power and force. Force over the way of thinking, power over hearts; this power and force is easier to obtain than one suspects if one combines knowledge of human nature with prudence. One must put into practice the principles that the system of the Union referring to the Illuminati or a radical Enlightenment union incessantly spreads, and according to which the power over the way of thinking of men will soon be wielded.

22. Only a few of you must know the levers of the machine; these few must govern all the rest.

6. 23. The greatest part of humanity does not think and therefore cannot be governed by reason; sensuality leads it to our intentions. One must open for it prospects of bliss that it does not find in the current constitutions of the states—prospects of freedom, of equality. One must show it the coercion of the laws, make churches and princes hateful, which will be easier for us to do as law and princely power already set limits to their passions.

24. One must seek to introduce the churches into various actions, and in turn elevate each of these actions with the strongest sins, promote them, and make the people dissatisfied with them; likewise, one should use each and every evil example of the clergy to draw the people's attention to their actions and call out to them: "See the fathers of the peoples, how they—on oppression—see the priests the

religion, how they mock you, preach virtue to you, and practice vice!" One must not let any opportunity pass to make the slightest incident striking. Especially popular festivals and holidays are to be used, and the slightest mistakes of the regents are to be interpreted and publicly rebuked under the pretext of morality, so that gradually the inclination toward freedom and independence is placed into the minds of the people, making them more suitable for revolution.

25. Experience teaches us that a single sentence often has a pervasive influence on all concepts and the entire system of a person's insights. As soon as such a sentence is shaken, the entire train of thought of a soul is inhibited and shattered. As with the individual, so it is with regions; every sensation, every impulse, every movement of the mind united in many people is elevated by enthusiasm and made invincible by the multiplied power of example. On this truth rests the strength of religious superstition and the prejudices of nations against their regents. If we use the same means for our purpose, we produce the same consequences, and in a short time, we obtain proud enthusiasts for the freedom of peoples and the equality of man.

26. Every Esprit du Corps spirit of the body/group spirit creates stubborn followers; it is therefore our duty to displace the Esprit du corps politique political group spirit and the Esprit du corps religieux religious group spirit. To effect this, another Esprit du corps philosophique philosophical group spirit must be brought among the people; this can happen most easily if one establishes many small societies, reading societies, in which we propagate our principles according to the institutions and laws of the Union.

27. Secret societies are useful for the same purpose; they excite the most and make the youth especially susceptible initially, and they grant the great advantage that they form the strongest enthusiasts who allow themselves to be killed for a cause they often do not even know.

28. In all our undertakings, however, we must follow nature. We have proofs from natural science: quod destructio unius fit generatio alterius that the destruction of one thing becomes the generation of another. This observation leads the observer to the conclusion that he who wants to bring forth quickly must also destroy quickly.

29. Not all rotten buildings can be repaired; it is necessary to tear everything down, even the foundations, in order to erect something new and durable. It is necessary that the entire rotten shell of the current constitutions collapses. The ruins will indeed be great at first, but once the dust has settled, and has caused the rising building, then...