P/S/42. Max Stirner and young Karl Marx: a debate of two centuries

The paper studies the philosophic legacy of Max Stirner often labelled as anarchist, nihilist, and a ´proto-NietzscheÎ, and claims that his influence on young Karl Marx and hence on all modern European philosophy is misinterpreted and grossly underestimated. The historiographical sketch of Max Stirner's life is presented covering his activity as a member the club áThe Free Ones (Die Freien) uniting a group of radical Berlin publicists, poets and philosophers in the middle of the XIX century. The history of the Hegelianism is reviewed with the focus on the radical Left Hegelian movement and the impact of its failure on Stirner. His book 'The Ego and Its Own' written in that period is compared to 'The German Ideology' by Karl Marx - a critical response to Stirnerian 'conscious egoism', yet showing similarities in the ideas and revealing the origins of historical meterialism. Friedrich Engelss essay áLudwig Feuerbach and the End of Classical German Philosophy is referred to as an attempt to minimise the importance of Stirner's ideas for the Marxist theory of communism and world revolution. The paper concludes that 'The Ego' highlighted the contradictions and problems inherent to any form of socialist or communist society and thus was a powerful attack on Marxism.