Johann Adam Weishaupt (February 6, 1748, in Ingolstadt; November 18, 1830, in Gotha) was the founder of the Order of the Illuminati as well as an author, university lecturer, and philosopher. As an opponent of the Jesuits, he became increasingly liberal in his religious and political views. He favored deism and republicanism. Orphaned at an early age, he was adopted by Adam Ickstatt, a student of Christian Wolff, and was raised in the spirit of Wolff's philosophy. He studied history, law, political science, and philosophy at the University of Ingolstadt and earned his doctorate in philosophy in 1768. In 1772, he became an associate professor of law, and in 1773, a full professor of ecclesiastical law in Ingolstadt.