Egoism

Question 1

Egoist views on human nature and the economy?

Answer 1

• Argue that individuals are entirely self interested, their only concern is the ‘ego’. Such view of solipsism leads people to believe that any kind of social intercourse is a threat to their freedom and liberty.
• Max Stirner, Ego and I (1844) rejects capitalism, believing that anyone who works for another is exploited and alienated. Work should be purposeful and useful to the individual and they should retain the full fruits of their labour.

Question 2

Influence on nihilism?

Answer 2

• Nihilism proposes for the abolition of both state and society.
• Max Stirner called the threats of state in addition to religion and ideology as ‘spooks’ and ‘ghosts’ because whilst they may appear to promote individual liberty, in practice they suppress it.
• Stirner’s concept of a union of egoists was not a society but a collection of individuals held together by their common desire to serve their own interests.

Question 3

Egoist views on society?

Answer 3

• As individuals are entirely rational and serve their own interest, they will make agreements to benefit themselves as it will be fulfilling for their own ego, in the form of Union of Egoists. Individuals will come together through voluntary agreements which would not involve any giving away of individual liberty. People are capable of altruism he claimed but only if a person’s ego saw altruism as being in their own interests.