-
Ibn Arabi on Imagination
In Islamic philosophy before Ibn Arabi, imagination was counted as one faculty among the senses, but Ibn Arabi tried to develop it conceptually. He interpreted imagination as follows: all beings are images of real Being and non-being. In other words, all things have two dimensions, being and non-being. The universe and all other things are counted as imagination, which has a middle nature between sheer reality and utter nothingness. All things are considered as qualities and reflections of one thing. This was known as the theory of unity of existence.
-
The 1782 Congress of Wilhelmsbad
The 1782 Congress of Wilhelmsbad (16 July–29 August) was a major international Masonic convention near Hanau, Germany, presided over by Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick. It aimed to reform European Freemasonry, notably abolishing the Strict Observance system, and addressed the relationship between Masonry, Templarism, and the emerging influence of the Bavarian Illuminati.
Key Aspects of the Wilhelmsbad Conference:
- Purpose: To address the severe crisis and division within the Order of Strict Observance.
- Outcome: The Strict Observance—which falsely claimed to descend from the Knights Templar—was effectively dissolved.
- Ideological Shifts: The congress saw a clash between Hermetic-alchemistic, mystical (Martinism), and rationalist (Illuminati) tendencies, with a focus on redefining the order's goals.
- Key Decisions: Retained three symbolic degrees, added the "Knights of Beneficence" degree, and marked a significant, albeit chaotic, shift in European esoteric societies.
- Impact: Some historians claim the congress highlighted the rise of the Illuminati within Masonry, while others focus on its attempt to restructure, rather than destroy, traditional masonry.
The congress involved delegates from across Europe, including Germany, France, and observers from further afield, and is often cited in discussions regarding the secret influences leading up to the French Revolution.
