Written By: Harry Fry
‘The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps’
Proverbs 16:0 (ESV)
In the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament of the Bible is posited the Judaist sentiment of there being a higher spirit guiding all of humanity. While its formation is rooted in religion, this essay will consider this alongside ideologies with secular origins. The belief in an orchestrator presiding over society is contextualised throughout history, in a formal nature particularly in the modern age, through differing forms and contexts. This concept of a hidden force or entity manipulating human movement and action as a central theme will be unravelled through religious perspectives, but also historic conspiracy theories, political ideologies, psychological perspectives, and the impact of technology and global digitalisation. In moving towards the present day, this investigation will dissect how belief in an orchestrator transcends society and time and will attempt to identify why such sentiments prevail in the contemporary.
To begin, religions and their traditions have emphasised the existence of a higher authority, particularly one that is divine and guides human activity. In Christianity for instance, God upholds the natural order through the divine providence attributed to him, as if he has a unique and specific plan for every individual, guiding singular lives. Further, this thorough inquisition of each person suggests God has a plan for humanity more broadly. More than being a singular entity overseeing us all, God appears to represent a wider institution that orchestrates human actions. These sentiments of a higher power, order, even institution shaping all forms of life similarly exist in Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. To varying degrees, these religious systems allow their followers some independent choice of actions, but enforced restrictions still exist. There constantly appears to be an informal yet rigid sense of personal guilt over acting incorrectly in these religions: God, even if allowing freedom of decision, will oversee judgment upon his followers’ wrongdoings. Despite this, these sentiments are not concrete and are regularly interpreted differently, encapsulating a complex theological debate and persisting element of mystery and paradox to faiths, running parallel to later themes that will be covered. Regardless, God is assumed to be separate from mortals and, to an extent, impossible to comprehend. While these religions provide an enduring historical presentation for belief in humanity being to some degree orchestrated, other dimensions and explanations are worthy of consideration.
Considering a more modern-facing theme, numerous conspiracy theories have proclaimed the existence of organisations and groups directing the world under the surface of wider society. A notable example is the ‘New World Order’, framed by the Illuminati, which details a small, elite-centred group holding all power through a single, global government. This argues that the creation of mass surveillance has ensured one world government can shape all affairs behind the scenes. The notion of these organisations being secretive and extensively hidden is reflected in conspiracies around mini societies, notably the Illuminati, Freemasons and the Rothschild Family. The Freemasons convey a medieval example, where followers are bound by regulations surrounding morality and virtue – paralleling religious systems – to serve a Grand Architect of the Universe. The Rothschilds are a wealthy banking dynasty often accused in conspiracy theories of manipulating financial markets with wide control over central world banks. These instances of more family-oriented groups depict how proclaimed orchestrators are still viewed as singular entities, as families represent a unified and genetically connected, hereditary confinement of absolute power. Further, the regular connection between these groups to wealth indicates this higher autonomy must be economic, implying orchestrators hold not merely theoretical or spiritual authority but tangible forms of it. Given these secret organisations are typically constructed in the popular imagination by ordinary netizens, it assumes that conspiracies about a greater power or group of leaders, similar to religion, are established from the ground upwards.
When investigating political ideologies, their theories place a strong emphasis on power relations but also embrace forms of orchestration in societal dynamics. For instance, Marxist theory positions the capitalist class (bourgeoise) as the ruling elite, asserting control over the working class (proletariat). This mirrors conspiracy-based themes in solidifying the economic features of this orchestration, yet equally, it overturns such proposals. Marxists suggest a unified effort from the working class can dismantle capitalist structures. It assumes the bourgeoisie are intrinsically superior over the proletariat before this revolutionary change, as to them, states are repeatedly constructed to ensure bourgeoise dominance. Similarly, Fascist regimes argue for a strong, central authority guiding the society for the collective good, where a cult of personality is typically developed around leaders of such regimes, like sibling regimes such as dictatorships. Ultimately, political theory, especially Marxism, advocates for a belief that whether such social transformation takes place or not, societies are led by individual segments alone, limiting outsiders who in fact represent the majority.
Although lacking a distinct creator, psychologists and their theories explore the subconscious and unconscious mind as directing human behaviour and societal actions. Sigmund Freud led a more extremist view on these themes, arguing that natural human desires and impulses influence our actions without us being consciously aware of this. From his psychoanalytical perspective, he finds a sizeable proportion of our decisions and behaviours originate from pathways outside of our conscious mind. This is significant because if we allow our minds to tap into and embrace a subconscious attitude, perhaps unravelling our unconscious ones as a result, human behaviour is directed more broadly. But equally, Freud’s more radical viewpoints are deemed largely fanatical, as humans not only deny much of their subconscious instincts to fit societal rules, but also as his examples frequently verge on controversial topics around psychosexuality. This connects to earlier themes of religion and conspiracies, as psychological frameworks align with their perception of these social orchestrations being inaccessible and secretive. That being said, psychologists internalise the orchestration of humans to themselves but also extend this sentiment to being present in all humans without exception; as if all of humanity possesses a hidden entity that constructs their mentality, influencing our activity without us knowing.
Following rapid technological advancements alongside excessive internet use, theories and fears around there being constant surveillance on us have spurred into action. This relates to conspiracy theories, yet it focuses mainly on a broader institution rather than an established network of individuals in power. In short, these themes evaluate human fears around being constantly monitored and watched. While this rationale is comprehendible in the recent digital age, older parallels can be drawn. In particular, George Orwell’s 1984 shows a fictional yet quasi-realistic dystopian world by illustrating humans as unable to find privacy and facing rigid social and political restrictions. This sense of manipulation but also a limitation in their choice of actions follows religious orchestrations, as while the degree of control over humans differs, both inflict moral obligations on humans to act within regulations. In contrast, the theme of surveillance, instead of being led through an active individual or group, presents a more passive manipulation of society. Our society is positioned as creating this orchestration through technological developments, namely global digitalisation and mass surveillance.
The common masses are repeatedly positioned as unintentionally as well as intentionally producing forms of guidance over humanity, granting large autonomy towards figureheads, secretive and elite institutions, and even hidden forces. Perhaps it is fundamental human desire and instinct to comprehend the unknown elements of the world and the activities we perform, as many humans assume a higher force must be at work, often behind the scenes. While rooted in differing formats throughout history, there is an explicit attempt to explain the inexplicable. The assumptions of there being rationality at the end of these searches indicate social anxieties and humans’ discomfort with being left uncertain, especially as society advances rapidly. From psychological frameworks, we see strings working underneath the surface of the human mind, not from above as in the other themes covered. Therefore, this higher, often untouchable, sense of an orchestrator, whatever it may consist of, appears to originate from each and every human themselves.
Bibliography
Armstrong. Karen, The Case For God: What Religion Really Means, 2010, Vintage Publishing
Fenster. Mark, Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and Power in American Culture, 2008, University of Minnesota Press.
Harvey. David, Marx, Capital, and the Madness of Economic Reason, 2017, Profile Books.
Hofstadter. Richard, The Paranoid Style in American Politics: And Other Essays, 2008, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
Springmeier. Fritz, Bloodlines of the Illuminati, 2002, Ambassador House.
Zuboff. Shoshana, Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power, 2019, Profile Books.
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