Max Stirner's Dialectical Egoism

A New Interpretation

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, Economic Policy, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Political, History & Theory
Cover of the book Max Stirner's Dialectical Egoism by John F. Welsh, Lexington Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John F. Welsh ISBN: 9780739141571
Publisher: Lexington Books Publication: September 23, 2010
Imprint: Lexington Books Language: English
Author: John F. Welsh
ISBN: 9780739141571
Publisher: Lexington Books
Publication: September 23, 2010
Imprint: Lexington Books
Language: English

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.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

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.

More books from Lexington Books

Cover of the book Wisdom by John F. Welsh
Cover of the book Does Collective Impact Work? by John F. Welsh
Cover of the book Imagining the United States of Africa by John F. Welsh
Cover of the book A Crisis of Leadership and the Role of Citizens in Black America by John F. Welsh
Cover of the book Shackled Sentiments by John F. Welsh
Cover of the book Reading and Writing in the Global Workplace by John F. Welsh
Cover of the book The Political Effects of Entertainment Media by John F. Welsh
Cover of the book John Dewey, Liang Shuming, and China's Education Reform by John F. Welsh
Cover of the book The Nature of Dignity by John F. Welsh
Cover of the book Joseph and Harriet Hawley's Civil War by John F. Welsh
Cover of the book Hegemony and Power by John F. Welsh
Cover of the book Why South Vietnam Fell by John F. Welsh
Cover of the book The Earth Writes by John F. Welsh
Cover of the book Pathways, Potholes, and the Persistence of Women in Science by John F. Welsh
Cover of the book The Anthropology of Complex Economic Systems by John F. Welsh
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy