Are Secret Societies Really Running the World?

Few ideas appear more frequently in conspiracy theories than the belief that secret societies control the world. Whether the discussion involves Freemasons, hidden elites, intelligence networks or other exclusive groups, the basic claim remains similar: a small number of people supposedly direct the course of history behind the scenes while the public remains unaware. Is this true? The answer is more complicated than either believers or skeptics sometimes assume. Secret Groups Are Real The first observation is straightforward. Secret societies exist. They have existed throughout history and continue to exist today. Human beings naturally form groups. Some of these groups are…