A secret society is an social organization who asks that its members keep part of its activities and its motivations far from the glances of people who are foreign for him, of the media and the State. The supposed goals of these companies are frequently of order Politique and in this case one can speak about mystical conspirationnism, or criminal. The members have sometimes the obligation not to reveal or deny their membership of the group.

Moreover, they often made the oath be the guards of the secrecies of the company. Term of “secret society” is often employed to qualify fraternities (as the Franc-maçonnerie) which also has secret ceremonies, but also of other organizations going of the simple fraternity coed to the mystical organizations described in theories of conspiracy like immensely powerful, equipped with finance departments and policies which are dedicated to them, a world radiation and often of the satanic beliefs.

Historically, the secret societies often were the subject of suspicions and of speculations on behalf of the non-member and thus surrounded by a climate of mistrust since the ancient Greece. Several of them were declared illegal. Thus, the Poland for example chose, in its constitution, to prohibit these companies as well as the political organizations extremists.

Several secret societies benefit from their principle of discretion to develop their criminal activities (like the Mafia) and policies (like the movement Know Nothing with the the United States).

Many companies of students established on university campuses are or were regarded secret societies, as for example the Fat Hat Club (founded in 1750) and the Phi Beta Kappa (founded in 1776) of the College off William and Mary with Williamsburg in Virginia. The most famous member of FHC is Thomas Jefferson. The secret society of students most known is the Skull and Bones, founded in 1832 with the Université of Yale.

The secret societies were condemned in various encyclicals and documents magistériels, whose In eminenti, has quo die, Christianae Republicae salus, Inscrutabile, Mirari Your, Arcanum Divinae, Providas, Ecclesiam has Jesu Christo, Traditi Humilitati, Quo Graviora, Which Pluribus, Quibus Quantique, Multiplices inter, Humanum Genus and Vehementer our.

Existing secret societies or having existed

Companies of businesses, international organizations or not governmental

Companies coeds

Esoteric brotherhoods and companies

Secret societies with political goal

Secret societies with criminal goal

Secret societies hypothetical or fictitious, present in the popular culture

In the literature

The secret societies are one of the popular elements of the romantic literature then of entertainment. From Joseph Balsamo of Alexandre Dumas in 1846, with the Pendulum of Foucault of Umberto Eco or with the Da Vinci Code of Dan Brown in 2003 while passing by the Cigars of the Pharaon of Hergé in 1934, they feed the intrigue in mystery and romantic. The topic of the very powerful secret society was largely exploited by the novel, in particular the serialized story of the 19th century. The court of the miracles described in Notre-Dame de Paris in 1831 in is an outline. Dumas has recourse there more once: in the Viscount of Bragelonne, Aramis reveals that it occupies a row raised in a secret society; in the famous Crimes (1839-40), Dumas devotes a chapter to Karl Ludwig Sand, member of a secret society, assassin of the Kotzebue adviser. Paul Féval exploits the topic with much success in the black Clothes in 1863.

Quotations

Quotations being opposed to the secret societies

  • Behind the visible government sits an invisible government which does not owe fidelity to the people and no responsibility is recognized. To destroy this invisible government, to destroy the impious bond which connects the businesses corrupted with the policy, itself corrupted, such is the duty of the statesman. Theodore Roosevelt. City by Dieter Rüggeberg: Gehimpolitik , p.75

  • In the councils of the government, we must take guard with the acquisition of an illegitimate influence, that it is required or not, by the complex militaro-industrialist. The risk of a disastrous development of a usurped capacity exists and will persist. Dwight David Eisenhower, in his speech of end of marked mandate on January 17th, 1961.

  • the world is controlled by very other characters that those do not think it of which the eye does not plunge in the slides. Benjamin Disraeli, Coningsby or the New generation.
  • the governments of this century are not in relation only with the governments, emperors, kings and ministers, but also with the secret societies, elements which one must hold account and who at the last time can cancel any agreement, which have agents everywhere - agents without scruple which push with the assassination, able, if necessary, to cause a massacre. Benjamin Disraeli
  • the events are much varied than those suppose it which do not know those which hold the wire , Benjamin Disraeli.

External bonds

Random links:1946 in sport | The Third Will | Momignies | Magda Julin | Mickaël Ménétrier

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