In 1776 Adam Weishaupt, a respected German professor of Canon Law, founded a covert revolutionary group - The Illuminati - a secret society dedicated to destroying repressive regimes and shaping a world government in terms of Liberty and Equality. These ideals surfaced with violent emphasis during the French Revolution, which many saw as the work of Illuminati agitators. The Jesuit Abbe Augustin Barruel was one such. In this book, (the third of his four-part monumental work on the French Revolution), he describes - from contemporary sources and accounts - the history, organization and ethos of the Illuminati, and their role in the destruction of the 'ancien regime'. This is an important work on the Illuminati, and is especially relevant considering the continuing belief that the Order remains among us, still working secretly to achieve their goals."