did you know that the original Illuminati had a different purpose than what many believe today founded in 1776 the Bavarian Illuminati aimed to challenge the social and political order of their time through intellectual discourse and education they embraced Enlightenment ideals like rational thinking secularism and opposition to oppression however their mission was short-lived the Bavarian government suppressed and disbanded the Illuminati in the late 1780s it's fascinating to see how history shapes our perceptions the original Illuminati had a different purpose altogether