A TOP British historian has claimed that conspiracy theories which suggest the world is secretly ruled by a group called the Illuminati are "lunacy".

Professor Niall Ferguson, a professor of history at Harvard University, has issued a scathing slapdown to people who believe a secretive organisation founded in 18th century Bavaria is controlling world events.

5 Niall Ferguson, professor of history at Harvard University, , pictured in 2016 Credit: Getty - Contributor

5 The 'all-seeing eye' symbol found on the dollar bill, which conspiracy theorists say is a symbol of The Illuminati Credit: Alamy

However, his dismissal of the existence of a "new world order" is unlikely to convince many conspiracy theorists who believe he is part of the very elite whose existence he denies.

Later this week, Professor Ferguson will publish a book called The Square and the Tower: Networks, Hierarchies and the Struggle for Global Power which explores the role powerful but often invisible "networks" of people have played throughout history.

Two chapters deal with the Illuminati, a "secret network that tried to change the world" when it was founded in 1776.

Some people believe this group still exists and is quietly working behind the scenes to control the planet.

In his book, Ferguson quoted author Richard Hofstadter's description of the Illuminati as a "vast, insidious, preternaturally effective international conspiratorial network designed to perpetrate acts of the most fiendish nature".

He said this group is incorrectly believed to secretly run the world's political and banking systems and manipulate everything from Hollywood to the oil industry.

5 Some people believe The Illuminati controls pop music and the drugs trade, which are used to stupify humanity and keep us on our knees Credit: https://www.illuminatiofficial.org/

"A fairly representative screed describes the Illuminati as a 'super -rich power elite with an ambition to create a slave society'," Ferguson wrote.

Soon after it was founded, the Order of the Illuminati was immediately blamed for causing events including the French Revolution.

Although the order was broken up and suppressed in the late 18th century, many people still believed it continued to secretly pull the strings of history.

Even now, up to half of all Americans believe world affairs are being manipulated by a tiny and malign elite dead set on building a "world government" which dominates the entire planet.

"This may be lunatic, but it's lunacy that appeals to more than a fringe," Ferguson added.

"Far from continuing their plot for world government down to the present, [the Illuminati] ceased to operate in the 1780s and efforts to revive the order in the twentieth century were largely bogus," he continued.

5 Niall Ferguson arrives at the Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski Dresden for the annual Bilderberg Group conference on June 9, 2016 Credit: Getty Images - Getty

5 Delegates who attend the Bilderberg Group's annual meetings are sworn to secrecy Credit: Getty Images - Getty

However, Ferguson is unlikely to convince some diehard believers in the Illuminati conspiracy.

He has worked closely with organisations which are often claimed to be involved in a secret plot to rule the world including The Bilderberg Group, a shadowy and mysterious grouping of the world's elite which meets every year in total secrecy.

Ferguson has attended these meetings and has also written a book about a prominent bank that's closely linked to stories about the Illuminati.

If you were a member of the Illuminati, conspiracy theorists are likely to ask, wouldn't you try to convince people that it doesn't exist?