Max Stirner's The Ego and Its Own is striking and distinctive in both style and content. First published in 1844, Stirner's distinctive and powerful polemic sounded the death-knell of left Hegelianism, with its attack on Ludwig Feuerbach, Bruno and Edgar Bauer, Moses Hess and others. It also constitutes an enduring critique of both liberalism and socialism from the perspective of an extreme eccentric individualism. Karl Marx was only one of many contemporaries provoked into a lengthy rebuttal of Stirner's argument. Stirner has been portrayed, variously, as a precursor of Nietzsche (both stylistically and substantively), a forerunner of existentialism and as an individualist anarchist. This edition of his work comprises a revised version of Steven Byington's much praised translation, together with an introduction and notes on the historical background to Stirner's text.

"John F. Welsh provides us with a superb distillation of the thought of Max Stirner and the dialecticalegoist paradigm he developed. Througth this brilliant study. Welsh demonstrates the power and breadth of dialectics as a radical mode of analysis and social transformation--Chris Matthew Sciabarra author of Total Freedom: Toward a Dialectical Libertarianism.

Welcome to the provocative world of Max Stirner's "The Ego and His Own," a philosophical journey that challenges conventional notions of individualism, society, and freedom. Prepare to embark on a thought-provoking exploration that pushes the boundaries of traditional thinking and invites readers to reconsider their own beliefs. As you delve into the pages of "The Ego and His Own," you'll encounter Stirner's groundbreaking ideas on egoism, emphasizing the sovereignty of the individual and the rejection of external authority. Through compelling arguments and sharp critiques, Stirner challenges readers to question the constraints of societal norms and embrace the power of self-interest. Join Stirner's relentless pursuit of personal freedom as he dismantles the illusions of morality, religion, and ideology that bind individuals to collective identities. Through incisive analysis and fearless rhetoric, Stirner advocates for radical self-liberation and the assertion of one's own desires and ambitions. Stirner's bold exploration of themes such as autonomy, self-realization, and existentialism resonates with readers seeking intellectual stimulation and philosophical insight. His provocative ideas provoke reflection and encourage readers to reevaluate their relationship with authority and social constructs. With its bold and uncompromising tone, "The Ego and His Own" challenges readers to confront the limitations of conventional wisdom and embrace the boundless potential of individual autonomy. Stirner's uncompromising vision of freedom and self-determination inspires readers to question the status quo and forge their own path in life. Since its publication in 1844, "The Ego and His Own" has sparked lively debate and garnered both praise and criticism for its radical ideas and uncompromising philosophy. Its enduring relevance continues to captivate readers interested in exploring the complexities of human nature and the nature of power. In conclusion, "The Ego and His Own" is more than just a philosophical treatise—it's a revolutionary manifesto that challenges readers to rethink their place in the world and embrace the full potential of individual autonomy. Whether you're a seasoned philosopher or a curious reader seeking intellectual stimulation, prepare to be captivated by the bold ideas and provocative insights of Max Stirner's timeless masterpiece. Don't miss your chance to engage with the radical ideas of Max Stirner. Let "The Ego and His Own" ignite your curiosity and challenge your beliefs. Grab your copy now and join the ranks of thinkers who have been inspired by Stirner's uncompromising vision of individual freedom.

Claimed repeatedly to be the most radical book ever written, The Ego And Its Own throws down a challenge to thousands of years of religious, philosophical and political depreciation of the individual. Criticising all doctrines and beliefs that demand the interests of the individual be subordinated to those of God, state, humanity, society, or some other fiction, Stirner declared war on all creeds that threatened individuality. In doing so, he championed a form of amoral egoism which still provokes cries of horror from moralists of right and left, religious and secular. The classic, from one of the founding fathers of anarchist thought, and a passionate defence of the individual against all forms of authority.

From Karl Marx to Wyndham Lewis, this book examines Max Stirner's influence on the modern manifesto. Max Stirner has long proven to be an elusive figure at the fringes of 19th-century German idealism. He has been portrayed as the father of the philosophical dead end that was egoistic anarchism: a withered branch of an ineffectual movement, remembered largely because of its suggestion that crime was a valid form of revolutionary action. From this perspective, egoists subscribed to extreme forms of anarchism and defended acts of theft, assault, and even murder; egoism only held lasting appeal to rebels, nihilists, and criminals; and Stirner's ideas could – and should – be consigned to the dustbin of history accordingly. The Ego Made Manifest argues that many of the accepted truisms about Stirner and his reception are false and that his contribution to modernist and avant-garde manifesto-writing traditions has been overlooked. Beginning with his influence on Marx's Communist Manifesto, Wayne Bradshaw reinserts Stirner into the history of manifestos that not only rebelled against tradition but sought to take ownership of history, culture, and people's minds. This study documents the trajectory of Stirner's reception from mid-19th-century Germany to his rediscovery by German and American readers almost 50 years later, and from his popularity among manifesto writers in fin de siècle Paris to the birth of Italian Futurism. Finally, it considers how American and British interest in egoism helped inspire Vorticism's satirical approach to revolt, and how, in an age of extremism, Stirner's ideas continue to haunt the modern mind.

Originally published in German in 1844, philosopher Max Stirner's "The Ego and Its Own" is an important and influential work that harshly criticizes Christianity and nationalism as well as the emerging movements of liberalism and socialism. Stirner's work is viewed by historians as essential to the development of modern theories of anarchism, existentialism, and nihilism. Stirner viewed with contempt the enslavement of the mind of the individual by the rigid dogma of religion and nationalism. These ideas robbed the individual of free thought and autonomy and prevented people from realizing their true potential. The solution to this enslavement and control is the application of an egoism that rejects all religious rules, laws of the state, traditional morality, the concerns of family and friends, and even one's own desires. Stirner argues that people must seek true freedom in the form of a new social structure that is essentially temporary and where no one is subjected to the self-interest of anyone else. This enduring and spirited defense of individual freedom against the control of the state and church remains required reading for students of politics and for all who value personal liberty. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and follows the translation of Steven T. Byington.

This Handbook offers an authoritative, up-to-date introduction to the rich scholarly conversation about anarchy—about the possibility, dynamics, and appeal of social order without the state. Drawing on resources from philosophy, economics, law, history, politics, and religious studies, it is designed to deepen understanding of anarchy and the development of anarchist ideas at a time when those ideas have attracted increasing attention. The popular identification of anarchy with chaos makes sophisticated interpretations—which recognize anarchy as a kind of social order rather than an alternative to it—especially interesting. Strong, centralized governments have struggled to quell popular frustration even as doubts have continued to percolate about their legitimacy and long-term financial stability. Since the emergence of the modern state, concerns like these have driven scholars to wonder whether societies could flourish while abandoning monopolistic governance entirely. Standard treatments of political philosophy frequently assume the justifiability and desirability of states, focusing on such questions as, What is the best kind of state? and What laws and policies should states adopt?, without considering whether it is just or prudent for states to do anything at all. This Handbook encourages engagement with a provocative alternative that casts more conventional views in stark relief. Its 30 chapters, written specifically for this volume by an international team of leading scholars, are organized into four main parts: I. Concept and Significance II. Figures and Traditions III. Legitimacy and Order IV. Critique and Alternatives In addition, a comprehensive index makes the volume easy to navigate and an annotated bibliography points readers to the most promising avenues of future research.

After Multiculturalism: The Discourse on Race and the Dialectics of Liberty provides an individualistic critique of multiculturalist thought in social theory and public policy through a survey of the discourses on race by major individualist theorists. The ideas of Ayn Rand, Murray Rothbard, Benjamin Tucker, Lysander Spooner, Max Stirner and contemporary libertarian scholars on race and racism are discussed to lay the foundation for the individualist critique of racism and multiculturalism.

The massive protests against globalization in recent years have rekindled interest in anarchism. Changing Anarchism sets out to reposition anarchist theory and practice by documenting contemporary anarchist practice and providing a viable analytical framework for understanding it.The contributions here, from both academics and activists, raise challenging and sometimes provocative questions about the complex nature of power and resistance to it. The areas covered include: sexuality and identity; psychological dependency on technology; libertarian education; religion and spirituality; protest tactics; mental health and artistic expression; and the ongoing "metaphorical wars" against drugs and terror. This collection epitomizes the rich diversity that exists within contemporary anarchism as well as demonstrating its ongoing relevance as a sociological tool.

This collection provides an overview of the thought of the foremost social theorist and political philosopher of the libertarian left today. Best known for introducing ecology as a concept relevant to radical political thought in the early 1960s, Murray Bookchin was the first to propose, in the innovative and coherent body of ideas that he has called "social ecology", that a liberatory society would also have to be an ecological one. His writings span five decades and encompass subject matter of remarkable breadth. Bookchin's writings on revolutionary philosophy, politics and history are far less known than the specific controversies that have surrounded him, but deserve far greater attention. Despite Bookchin's critical engagement with both Marxism and anarchism, his political philosophy, known as libertarian municipalism, draws on the best of both for the emancipatory tools to build a democratic, libertarian alternative. His nature philosophy is an organic outlook of generation, development, and evolution that grounds human beings in natural evolution yet, contrary to today's fashionable anti-humanism, places them firmly at its summit. Bookchin's anthropological writings trace the rise of hierarchy and domination out of egalitarian societies, while his historical writings cover important chapters in the European revolutionary tradition. Consistent throughout Bookchin's work is a search for ways to replace today's capitalist society--which disenchants most of humanity for the benefit of the few and is poisoning the natural world--with a more rational and humane alternative. The selections in this reader constitute a sampling from the writings of one of the most pivotal thinkers of our era.