The phenomenon of secret societies: typology, features and historical roles

Abstract

Researchers of each epoch cite new historical facts as confirmation of the existence and activity of secret societies, but there is no consensus on which societies or organizations are considered secret, so it is impossible to speak definitely about the role of this social phenomenon in history. In this paper, we will attempt to eliminate this confusion by suggesting that from all organizations that for some reason try not to attract attention to themselves, we should single out such a type of community as esoteric. They are characterized by a doctrine hidden from the uninitiated and a hierarchical structure in which information is strictly dosed from one stage of initiation to another. Such esoteric societies are divided into escapist (they treat the existing social reality unkindly, but passively, preferring to live at the expense of the uninitiated) and chiliastic (they claim world domination and seek to reform the life of society in accordance with their teachings). As examples of an escapist secret society, the authors consider the Manichaean sectarian community and its derivative movements, and an example of a chiliastic organization is the White Lotus confederation of sects that operated in Imperial China during the Middle Ages and Modern Times. In conclusion, the authors propose such a way to combat esoteric sectarianism as open polemics.