Max Stirner's Dialectical Egoism

Reviews / Votes

John F. Welsh provides us with a superb distillation of the thought of Max Stirner and the dialectical-egoist paradigm he developed. Through 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 Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical A book of this kind has been long awaited. It is the first modern book-length sympathetic, yet balanced and scholarly, exposition of Max Stirner's thought and, in my opinion, the best book on Max Stirner on the market. John Welsh's Max Stirner's Dialectic Egoism contains new and useful arguments based on sound scholarship. Welsh shows a good grasp of what Stirner means and what he doesn't, and of the different interpretations of him up until the present. The text includes different interpretations and understandings of Stirner, an exegesis of Stirner's major work, The Ego and Its Own, insights of leading historians of philosophy, and a comparison of Stirner and his disciples. Overall, well researched and very informative! -- Svein Olav Nyberg, Agder University College Welsh is clearly aware of these central aspects of Stirner's project....He has...offered a very useful tool for anarchists, egoists and Stirner scholars, a tool that is well worth using. And it is not difficult to use. The language is fairly simple and straightforward. The content is well organized. I recommend the book for anyone interested in exploring what Stirner has to offer us in our confrontations with the ruling institutions. * Modern Slavery * Any reader of this journal, and anyone who has ever tried to grapple with Stirner, will enjoy and benefit from this book. Scholars and students seeking a clear, honest, up-to-date introduction to Stirner need look no further. Individual-minded individuals outside the academy will also find this book of use. * I-Studies *