What is the relation between Freemasonry and conspiracy theories concerning a New World Order?

Conspiracy theories linking Freemasonry to covert global political agendas—such as a universal republic or single world authority—originate primarily in late eighteenth-century anti-Masonic writings that conflated the Fraternity with political cabals 121.

Following the rise of Adam Weishaupt’s Bavarian Illuminati, John Robison published Proofs of a Conspiracy in 1797, claiming that Freemasonry had merged with the Illuminati to undermine European government and religion 1. Promoted alongside the writings of the Abbé Barruel, these allegations established an enduring template for anti-Masonic literature, falsely depicting lodges as underground political networks aiming for power over state affairs 1. Other writers, such as Cadet de Gassicourt, advanced claims that higher Masonic degrees concealed secret chiefs plotting to overthrow monarchies, destroy papal authority, and establish a universal republic 2. In apocalyptic fiction and religious criticism, such as the works of Monsignor Benson, higher-grade Masonry was similarly portrayed as a vehicle for global central control and anti-religious subversion 2.

Within the Craft, these accusations directly contradict foundational Masonic principles and governance 1. The 1723 Constitutions explicitly command that a Mason must be a peaceable subject to the civil powers and refrain from political plots, illegal assemblies, or street brawls 13. Craft Masonry historically took no position on political philosophies—whether feudal, monarchical, republican, or democratic—and excluded political crusades and debate from its province 1. While critics like Barruel claimed that certain French higher degrees reinterpreted principles of liberty and equality, the Craft itself strictly maintains obedience to civil authority and rejects political subversion 13.