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Max Stirner (1806-1856) is recognized in the history of political thought because of his egoist classic The Ego and Its Own. Stirner was a student of Hegel, and a critic of the Young Hegelians and the emerging forms of socialist and communist thought in the 1840s. Max Stirner's Dialectical Egoism: A New Interpretation examines Stirner's thought as a critique of modernity, by which he meant the domination of culture and politics by humanist ideology. In Stirner's view, 'humanity' is the supreme being of modernity and 'humanism' is the prevailing legitimation of social and political domination.Welsh traces Stirner's thought from his early essays to The Ego and Its Own and Stirner's responses to his critics. He also examines how Benjamin Tucker, James L. Walker, and Dora Marsden applied Stirner's dialectical egoism to the analysis of (a) the transformations of capitalism, (b) culture, ethics, and mass psychology, and (c) feminism, socialism, and communism. All three viewed Stirner as a champion of individuality against the collectivizing and homogenizing forces of the modern world.Welsh also takes great care to dissociate Stirner's thought from that of the other great egoist critic of modernity, Friedrich Nietzsche. He argues that the similarities in the dissidence of Stirner and Nietzsche are superficial. The book concludes with an interpretation of Stirner's thought as a form of dialectical egoism that includes (a) a multi-tiered analysis of culture, society, and individuality; (b) the basic principles of Stirner's view of the relationship between individuals and social organization; and (c) the forms of critique he employs. Stirner's critique of modernity is a significant contribution to the growing literature on libertarianism, dialectical analysis, and post-modernism. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

A necessary step towards freedom
At first glance, Stirner is infantile revolutionary extraordinaire. And he is -- by himself he is an utterly ridiculous muppet. But taken in the context of the great sexual revolt in the West that culminated in the work of Wilhelm Reich, et al. Stirner is concerned with freeing the passions -- his "ego" would better be identified with Freud's id.

Apart from being a sex-radical manifesto, "The Ego and His Own" is an critique of humanism and the Enlightenment, bringing up many a good point that would later be looked at more closely by future thinkers -- notably Nietzsche, tho also Georges Sorel, for instance.

Good stuff. Not to be read with a literalist mind or without a sense of humour!

The last book anyone should read
Read this book only after you have read books by Hayek, Marx, Nietzsche, Hume, Locke, Tocuquillve, then you will appreciate what this book is talking about, then you will understand why Marx and Nietzsche is equally wrong. This is the bible of a human being with right mind, or as someone says, this is the Bible of a Billionaire. This is what Euripides says in his play Cyclops, "Money is wise men's god, rest are just babbling".
It is the most refreshing book a man can ever find. Better than Nietzsche's.

Quirky but Intriguing Work
This is a most intriguing and quirky work; many will probably find it repellant. It may well be that this volume is the reason that Marx and Engels wrote "The German Ideology"; it may be that Stirner's magnum opus led to Marx fundamentally changing his philosophical perspective from more idealistic to materialistic.Nonetheless, it is a work that gets one's mind to working as one responds to the arguments being advanced.That alone makes this an interesting book to explore.

Max Stirner (born Johan Kaspar Schmidt) is one of the more interesting figures in 19th century political thought.The turgid prose of his one major work, "The Ego and His Own," stretches for several hundred pages and can be a formidable barrier to the reader.Stirner posits something like a war of each against all as the proper way of life and the proper way of allocating scarce resources.This competition with others is natural and ubiquitous.Stirner says: ". . .the egoistic man, who deals with things and thoughts according to his heart's pleasure. . .sets his personal interest above everything."

One major obstacle in the way of an individual's egoism is the existence of "spook notions" and coercive agencies, such as the state."Spook notions" are concepts viewed as superior to the individual, largely due to dominant values of a society inculcated into the individual; these concepts subsequently become reified.Among examples that he adduces: truth, right, chastity, the law, the good cause, the state, mankind, love, duty, obligation.In each case, people will come to accept these concepts as absolutes and then subordinate their own behavior to these reifications.Stirner contends, to the contrary, that humans should not allow themselves to become subjects to such "spook notions."Stirner argues that most people prostrate themselves before such "spook notions."As a result, so Stirner asserts, such people are possessed, just as surely as madmen may be possessed by their delusions.

If cut adrift from reified moorings, what next?Stirner asserts that one should be guided by one's self-interest, however one might define this.This self-interest, though, should not become superior to the individual, must not be rigidified into a reification.One should leave ends as open questions--remaining, always, the final judge of the ends' utility, since one, in Stirner's view, owns these ends.If one choose to believe in God and follow that deity's word, good.But one must continually recall that this is a matter of choice and that decision may be revoked at any time.The egoist "never takes trouble about a thing for the sake of the thing, but for his sake: the thing must serve him."

The ego and its own are intimately related.One's own can be other people, property, or ideas.The only things that are sacred are those which one declares as "sacred."One keeps all ends open and leaves the option of ultimate rejection of those values.The individual alone, of course, may be deficient in power to accomplish all that he or she would wish.Thus, one would find it expedient to form unions with others.As a result, one becomes strengthened and may do things that were previously beyond one's individual power.It is a union of convenience, based upon the extent to which individuals in the union can benefit from one another.This society, this union of egoists as Stirner describes it, is itself based upon egoism.Stirner says that: "Therefore we two, the State and I, are enemies.I, the egoist, have not at heart the welfare of this 'human society.' I sacrifice nothing to it, I only utilize it; but to be able to utilize it completely I transform it rather into my own property and my creature; that is, I annihilate it and form in its place the Union of Egoists."

Most readers will reject Stirner's perspective, which departs from much of Western philosophical tradition.However, his ideas are thought-provoking and challenge us to look at sociality and ourselves in a very different way.Whether or not one might agree with him, these effects, in and of themselves, make this an interesting work to peruse.Being challenged can be very positive.
... Read more

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Humanism and Realism, the Egoist way. A classic essay from Stirner. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Bona Fide Learning vs. "Education Experts"
Henry L. Mencken (1880-1955) wrote "In all ages pedagogues (education experts) have been the bitterest enemies of all genuine intellectual enterprise (AMERICAN MERCURY, Feb, 1933) as quoted by James J. Martin in his eduction of THE FALSE PRINCIPLE OF OUR EDUCATION of the Libertarian Broadside Series. This quote is true and reflects a basic problem for teachers and students. Max Stirner (1806-1856)wrote the above essay to illustrate this point, and any discerning individual will have to come to terms with this essay.

Max Stirner wrote this essay c. 1835 thirteen years before the political convulsions of the 1848 revolutions. Stirner was a philosophy professor who understood teaching and learning as one who was personally involved and as an astute observer of the situation in German schools and universities. He was also keenly aware of the challenges faced by "traditional education" during a time of industrial, economic, and political revolutions.

Stirner saw the battle as between the humanists (those who valued Classical learning) and the realists who valued "practicle learning." Stirner offered criticisms of both types of learning as well as the merits of both. Stirner critisized Classical learning because of what he viewed as a false elitism and snobbish attitudes. Stirner claimed such learning without any actual thinking was a means of false authority and underserved power and prestiege. Stirner also critisized the Realists or those who emphasized practical learning for false conclusions. Stirner critisdized "practicle" learning because those who promoted it wanted "good" citizens and very obedient servents rather than thoughtful men and women.

Yet Stirner also saw advantages to both Classical learning and that of the Realists. Stirner argued that Classical learning had merit if men learned the lessons of history and philosphy to be free, independent, and responsible individuals. In other words, Stirner saw merit in Classical learning if students could wean themselves from masters and teachers and become creative, self assured individuals. Stirner also thought that the Realists had merit if their programs led men to be independent and responsible and especially if men were responsible for themselves. Stirner knew that what Classical learning or "practicle" learning could do if such learning meant unquestioned obedience to authority or service to the State.

Those who value bona fide learning (the operative words are bona fide)can appreciate this essay. Ideally teaching and learning should make students intellectually indpendent and to inspire them to study and learn what they enjoy and what will make students thoughtful. Such teaching and learning is a horror to modern "education experts" who know little and cannot think. For students to demonstrate intellectual prowess is an anathema to "education experts" who try to peddle the notion that students need "experts" to tell them what to do and how to do it.

There are terrible if amusing examples of such nonsense of "education experts." For example, a few years ago a Maryland high school English teacher introduced his students to the Classics and somehow got the students to take an avid interest in great literature and great ideas. His students did well on exams, but the teacher was fired because the Classics were not on the "offical curriculum" list of approved books. This belies intelligence and logic. The "experts" feared that students would actually learn something and be able to think for themselves. "Education experts" apporved a history text in which the authors and publisher had the equator running through Houston, Texas. Rather than make corrections and admit the blunder, the "experts" sent the books to the publisher to sell to another group of unsuspecting "experts."

Another amusing anecdote included a teacher who knew advanced physics, chemistry, and advanced mathematics beyond differential equations but was not considered qualified. This teacher took the fight to the "education experts." He first went to the local board "experts" with college physics, chemestry, and college calculus books and opened the books at random to problems which the "experts" (those who said this teacher was not qualified)could not solve. He next went to the state "experts" with the same result. His ultimatum was that his status change from not qualified to qualified or he would return with the same challenge with TV news crews to report on the results. Stirner would either die laughing at all the nonsense of "experts" or he would surrender in despair.

Stirner has a serious lesson for students and espeically young students. The lesson is that students should pursue learning for their own enjoyment and not to please "education experts" Readers may be surprised that Thomas Edison never finished high school. George Washington Carver, a botany genius, never went to college. Bill Gates never finished college. According to the "experts," their inventions and innovations do not work because these men did not adhere to phony curriculum and mindless programs that pass for education. Stirner would have been please to see this had he lived longer.

Stirner's trenchent essay is an assault on phony experts. His essay is not an assault on authenic learning, reason, and actual knowledge. One should remember that learning is based on what one knows and not how many diplomas one has acquired. ... Read more

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Stirner's The Ego and its Own (1844) is striking in both style and content, attacking Feuerbach, Moses Hess and others to sound the death-knell of Left Hegelianism.The work also constitutes an enduring critique of liberalism and socialism from the perspective of an extreme eccentric individualism. Stirner has latterly been portrayed variously as a precursor of Nietzsche, a forerunner of existentialism, an individualist anarchist, and as manifestly insane. This edition includes an Introduction placing Stirner in his historical context. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

New Study on Stirner
For those of you who are interested in a new study of Stirner's egoism and its influence, I suggest my new book John F. Welsh, Max Stirner's Dialectical Egoism: A New Interpretation. It is a very positive study of Stirner and examines his influence on Benjamin Tucker, James L. Walker, and Dora Marsden. It also argues that there is only a superficial similarity between Nietzsche and Stirner. I hope you will check it out and enjoy it regardless of your views of Stirner.Max Stirner's Dialectical Egoism: A New Interpretation I also included a chapter on Stirner in my book After Multiculturalism which discusses Stirner's view of race. After Multiculturalism: The Politics of Race and the Dialectics of LibertyBoth books are available in paperback.

Brilliant
Max Stirner was clearly among the most gifted of the young Hegelian's, and this mysterious text is was an obvious influence on the style and form of Nietzsche's thought. Stirner attempts to radically divest man of the 'spooks' of abstraction and ideology. His criticisms of religion morality remain crucial to our understanding of secular modernity. Stirner's morality is a morality of individual will, of force, with a clear residue in Nietzsche's Will to Power. This is a remarkable work in terms of its stylistic bite and radical transformation of Hegelian thought.

Max Stirner - Crook or Crank?
Stirner: The Ego and its Own (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought)
An excellent book for anyone interested in the philosophy of anarchy (if that isn't an oxymoron) or in the precursors of Nietzsche. Although it's apparently unlikely Nietzsche ever read this book (first published in 1844, the year of his birth), it's obvious he must have been familiar with its theme, the over-riding importance of the individual as opposed to any abstract idea or physical collective.
Quite how far Stirner believed in his own thesis is difficult to say - which further adds to the inherent interest of the book.
The translation dates from 1907, and is difficult to fault. The notes by the editor, David Leopold, are succinct and relevant. Perhaps he could be persuaded to translate Stirner's biography, which currently only exists in German.

Review from Branddenotes.blogspot.com
I remember reading Stirner as a sort of radical libertarian (back in his time considered something of an anarchist), much more intelligent and interesting than libertarians of today, and as a result, he makes the flaws of libertarianism all the more clear. He's dismissive of ideologies, even of concepts like 'the people' or 'the working class,' calling them spooks. Shades of Maggie Thatcher saying that society doesn't exist, only individuals and maybe families (though Stirner wouldn't have liked the bitch any more than I).

But as much as Stirner rails against ideas and ideologies that rule the person rather than the other way around, and are non-existent abstractions (spooks) anyway, his ideas can be fall prey to his own criticism. For instance: "The labourers have the most enormous power in their hands, and, if they once became thoroughly conscious of it and used it, nothing would withstand them; they would only have to stop labour, regard the product of labour as theirs, and enjoy it." That's all well and good, and ironically a perfect example of a spook, a meaningless idea (when combined with Stirner's forceful individualism) with little relevance in the world. Being that humans are generally averse to a painful death, how except through organization around a unifying ideology will laborers realize their power? As individuals, they are nothing, and their labor has next to no value. Only as laborers, plural and organized, does the individual worker have any hope of emancipation.

That's not to say that there's nothing good or worthwhile here, quite the opposite. Check this out: "What is it, then, that is called a 'fixed idea'? An idea that has subjected the man to itself. When you recognize, with regard to such a fixed idea, that it is a folly, you shut its slave up in an asylum. ... Is not all the stupid chatter of most of our newspapers the babble of fools who suffer from the fixed idea of morality, legality, Christianity, and so forth, and only seem to go about free because the madhouse in which they walk takes in so broad a space? Touch the fixed idea of such a fool, and you will at once have to guard your back against the lunatic's stealthy malice. For these great lunatics ... assail by stealth him who touches their fixed idea. They first steal his weapon, steal free speech from him, and then they fall upon him with their nails."

Yours to OWN
Dialectical recipe: Smash Emerson and Schopenhauer into one and add bits of Macchiaveli and Callicles and there you have Max Stirner.

Byington's translation is superlative. The notes are extensive and provide ALL the necessary cultural/historical data you could need for reading this.Individualism never hurt so good.

Further Reading

"Instead of a Book by a Man Too Busy to Write One: A Fragmentary Exposition of Philosophical Anarchism"
by Benjamin Ricketson Tucker

Lysander Spooner ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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A major essay on the basis of individualist thought, with reference to the major influence of Stirner. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Useful analysis of Max Stirner
A brief--but helpful--analysis of the radical German thinker, Max Stirner. This can usefully read in juxtaposition with Paterson's work, "The Nihilist Egoist." While Clark is critical of Stirner, his analysis is insightful.

He notes the complex intrerrelationship between Stirner and Karl Marx at the outset. He discusses key points in Stirner's work.He notes Stirner's role in the political theory of anarchism. He discusses at some length Stirner's view of the "union of egoists."

Ultimately, Clark believes that Stirner misses the mark because his radical individualism is not cognizant of the social nature of humankind.

At any rate, a useful brief work on Stirner.

A critical but thoroughly competent treatment of Stirner's philosophy
This is perhaps the best secondary source on Max Stirner currently available in book form.I learned more about Stirner in these 100 pages than anywhere else thus far.The author's treatment of Stirner is fair and incredibly enlightening.And because the author is critical of Stirner's philosophy, the sympathetic reader can proceed with the confidence that he will be able to anticipate in advance any criticism that will be levelled against Stirner, whether it be in metaphysics or ethics.

I would suggest that the interested reader begin here.Next, I would recommend Mackay's biography of Stirner, followed then by another book entitled "Individuality and the Social Organism."James L. Walker's book "The Philosophy of Egoism" is also highly recommended (the book which introduced me to egoism).

An anarcho-syndicalist view of Stirner
Clark is strongest when he is attacking the structure of Stirner's argumentation and logic, and weakest when he injects his own syndicalist socialism (which is, to Clark, the only example of "true" anarchism) into the discussion.Paradoxically, however, Clark's unique perspective adds significantly to the overall value of the book as a means for understanding both the philosophy of Stirner and anarchist thought in general. ... Read more

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Max Stirner (1806-1856) was the philosopher of conscious egoism. His book Der Einzige und sein Eigenthum (published in English in 1907 as The Ego and His Own) is the fundamental work of that philosophy and the philosophical basis of individualist anarchism. The German poet and anarchist writer John Henry Mackay (1864-1933) carefully researched Stirner's life and published his biography in 1897, with a third, definitive edition in 1914. Hubert Kennedy's translation is the first in English. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Mackay's Max Stirner in English at Last
John Henry Mackay's Max Stirner: His Life and his Work first appeared in German in 1898.There was no English translation until 2005, with the appearance of John Hubert Kennedy's translation of the third (1914) edition, befitting the obscure carreer of this unparalleled thinker Max Stirner.How could one invent a more poignant story, epic in its dimensions, than that of the rise and fall of Max Stirner?This is the only full account, and Mackay's recounting of the tribulations of his research into the life of Stirner is an epic saga in itself; he goes so far as to claim that if another twenty years had passed, even the meagre details of Stirner's biography he managed to turn up in a ten-year effort would have been irretrievably lost.Such was the power of the passing of fifty years.

Mackay's account is most interesting to me as he recreates the milieu Stirner inhabited in the decade between 1840 and 1850, when an intellectual struggle worthy of the Diadochi, as a young Karl Marx sardonically put it at the time, moved through its bewildering permutations.Begun in the hallowed halls of academia, in no less a bastion of scholarly endeavour than the University of Berlin, where Hegel had held court in a crucial period of intellectual history, it moved out into the more exoteric world of left-wing journalism and the informal, even raucous atmosphere of the tavern as the currents which culminated in the 1848 European revolutions took shape. The debates which would shake the intellectual foundations of Europe, in a seismic cataclysm which has still not abated, played out in one of these taverns primarily, a certain Hippel's Weinstube in central Berlin.Between 1842 and 1845, tendencies which had first seen the light of day in Ludwig Feuerbach's seminal Essence of Christianity (1841) rapidly mutated at the hands of this rather rag-tag band of erstwhile university instructors, fledgeling journalists, and various other sympathizers possessed with the urge for social change.As Mackay states at the outset of his description of this milieu, "To characterize 'The Free' in a few words is not very easy", since, for one thing, they never drew up any charters, and embarked on their meetings with no stated purpose.There was an inner circle, to which Stirner belonged, but its larger membership was according to Mackay "enormously large".Debates on the burning issues of the day typically began in the reading room at university, progressed to Stehely's stationery store and then on to Hippel's in the evening, every evening.And so it was in this atmosphere that Stirner formulated and composed his magnum opus, The Ego and Its Own (1844).Mackay relates some choice anecdotes about the nature of the gatherings at Hippels' where a game of cards often took precedence over anything resembling serious intellectual discussion, even and especially among the most prominent members of the inner circle of "The Free".

Notable also are the accounts of Stirner's formative years and that of his precipitous fall.After a brief and intense explosion on the intellectual scene, Stirner was plunged into one difficulty after another, financial and personal, and was already dead only 11 years after the appearance of The Ego and Its Own, at the tender age of 49.

Mackay's biography, though betraying a tendency towards hero-worship at times, is nevertheless an indispensable contribution to the understanding of this singular man and this crucial period in intellectual history. The translation is servicable, at times perhaps a bit too literal, but which, I believe, conveys essential elements of the flavor of the original.

It's about time!
I remember hearing once that Guglielmo Marconi (the inventor of the radio) believed that sound waves never completely die away--they just get quieter and quieter.He thought that, with a sensitive enough microphone, mounted in the appropriate position, and with the just the right amount of amplification, you could recapture events from history.It was his life-long dream, apparently, to record the sermon on the mount.When I sit and ponder this, for some reason it evokes in me a sense of desperate loss--a heart-wrenching, unquenchable longing for a past that is irretrievably gone.

There is something of that feeling in John Henry Mackay's biography of Max Stirner.The book is as much about Stirner as it is about the search for Stirner--or what paltry fragments of him remained, 40+ years after his untimely (and rather gruesome) death.Stirner left no progeny, and very few acquaintances were still living when Mackay began his research.Worst of all, Stirner's ex-wife refused to even discuss him, beyond answering a few basic questions.Meanwhile, other pathways in the search would appear to open up, only to reveal themselves as dead ends, for one reason or another.

I suppose, though, we ought to be happy that at least Mackay's search wasn't postponed another 5 or 10 years, for by that time Stirner's candle would have been completely extinguished.I see it as also very fortunate for us that it was a poet--rather than a philosopher or historian--who took up the cause of preserving the memory of Stirner.

As for the book itself, what really needs to be said?Without Mackay we wouldn't even know the name Max Stirner today.Mackay treats his subject with the respect and love that you would expect from a person willing to devote 25 years to it (What Mackay says of Stirner applies equally well to Mackay himself: "He did what he did for himself, because it gave him pleasure.He asks for no thanks, and we owe him none").Obviously, the work is indispensable for anyone with more than a passing interest in Stirner.

Mackay divides Stirner's life into three periods, which he designates as "rise, height, fall."The first includes his youth and his life up to the end of his teaching activity; the second his years in the company of "The Free" at Hippel's pub (Trivia: Stirner apparently chain-smoked cigars), which lead up to the publication of _Der Einzige_; the third, the "period of forgetfulness and solitude up to his death."

The one complaint that I have about this edition (the first available in English) is that, apparently for "technical reasons," all figures and photographs, and a number of appendices, have been left out.So, if you have a desire to see things like the facsimile of one of Stirner's manuscripts, as well as a complete bibliography of Stirner's known published works, you'll need to get a copy of the German edition.I certainly hope that Hubert Kennedy will have occasion to publish a definitive English edition in the near future, which will include all those items--and perhaps there's even reason to hope for a translation of Stirner's "Kleinere Schriften"! ... Read more

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Two major works of Max Stirner ... Read more

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The book may have numerous typos or missing text. It is not illustrated or indexed. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website. You can also preview the book there.Purchasers are also entitled to a trial membership in the publisher's book club where they can select from more than a million books for free.Original Publisher: A. C. Fifield Publication date: 1913Subjects: Egoism; Individualism; Philosophy / General; Philosophy / Ethics ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Terrible Copy
This is an excellent book - look online for a pdf version: which is free.This copy is unreadable.The mistakes are frequent, and they vary from simple spelling to completely ineligible reproduction of quotes.Don't waste your money. ... Read more

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The cultural logic contained within Emile Durkheim's work, specifically categories he puts forth in Suicide, creates the ground for Horrible Workers. This book is constructed to allow its readers to study the cases of Max Stirner, Arthur Rimbaud, Robert Johnson, and the Charles Manson Circle independently of one another or in a comparative fashion. Each case demonstrates in what ways particular social experiences lead to what have been perceived as unique forms of cultural expression. ... Read more

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A Portrait of the Normal World
Emile Durkheim asserted that a crime free society is impossible.Crime alerts people to structural dangers within the normal world that require attention.For this crime is essential. The sociological category "deviance" has become a moral category including both crime and creativity.We are led astray and miss both the warnings and the solutions.Nielsen begins his account of tensions within the taken for granted world with this:"Anomic suicide and progress, egoistic suicide and autonomy, altruistic suicide and moral self-transcendence, fatalistic suicide and order:these are four pairs of virtues and vices, inextricably wedded to one another.(p. 3)" Nielsen develops the notion of fatalistic suicide, which takes on a pivotal role, from Durkheim's footnote.The voices of many including Erving Goffman, David Riesman, Max Weber and Johan Huizinga are brought to bear on the dynamics of our everyday world.Nielsen finds an essential tension in this world.On the one hand society becomes structurally and morally rigid.In his discussion of Stirner he observes that "The main aim is to make oneself 'audible.'"(p. 22)On the other hand people are in constant movement, what Nielsen refers to as "vagabondage."In the Rimbaud chapter there is this comment:"Nomadism, vagabondage and adventurism are some of the central expressions of our contemporary anomism."(p. 42)He demonstrates the historic roots of both tendencies.Nielsen finds Durkheim's four categories interacting at the center of the society.He comments that ". . .all express the restless movement which has become a common feature of life for everyone in advanced industrial society. . ."(p. 99). ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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This Book Is In German. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Extremely helpful in the study of Stirner
Dematteis has done a wonderful service with his book.In fact, in the study of Stirner, I would probably recommend reading this book, along with Mackay's biography, _before_ actually tackling _Der Einzige_ itself.The reason is that both this book and Mackay's provide a context and a little bit of an explanation for, e.g., why Stirner is so concerned with the concept "Spirit".

At first I didn't think I was going to like this book, and, actually, the reason for that may also be a bit of a clue as to why Stirner is so little known today among the individualist anarchists and anarcho-capitalists, who should hold him most dear.The reason is the first chapter, which is about Hegel. Yes, Stirner was a student of Hegel, so learning at least a little bit about Hegel is necessary if you want to fully appreciate Stirner--but what a bunch of crap!I still can't believe that Hegel's writings are anything more than the philosophical equivalent of a Rorschach test.

After the first chapter (which is still pretty good, I guess) the book gets really interesting.

Chapter 2 is a 44 page summary of Stirner's philosophy.

Chapter 3 is a summary of the Marxist criticism of Stirner, especially that found in _The German Ideology_, but including a little bit from a recent critic by the name of Helms.

Chapter 4 constructs some (to me, rather tepid) replies to the Marxist critics, and (again, I think more than a little timidly) concludes that the Marxist critiques failed.

So, in spite of a few minor flaws, this work deserves to be part of any Stirner fan's library. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more