Anarcho-Egoism

Anarcho-Egoism
Basic Information
Aliases	Spook Buster, Stirner, Stirnerism, Kaspar Lockridge
Character Information
Likes	Liking is a spook
Dislikes	Disliking is a spook
Song	songs are spooks

Egoism is an off-the-compass libertarian and anarchist unity ideology that emphasizes the individual over another kind of guiding principle; that is, the individual should do as they please, not bound by any government or moral code. He often calls, well, everything he doesn't like a spook. In fact, web pages dedicated to the ideology are a spook, as are the author and the time and effort he spent on it... unless he enjoyed himself, in which case... well, still probably something spooky about it.

History

Egoism is a philosophy and political ideology developed by Max Stirner in 1844. Outlined in his book "Der Einzige und Sein Eigentum" (Translated as "Ego and It's Own" or more accurately as "The Unique and It's Property") Stirner critiques institutions within society such as Christianity, Nationalism, Morality, Humanism, Socialism, Liberalism, and even society itself through a heavily individualist lens. He comes to call these ideas phantasms, or as they are more commonly known, spooks. This name comes from Stirner to describe the actions of these institutions as similar to that of ghosts. They are immaterial, but can still have an affect on, or even possess the individual.

Hegel was a large influence for Stirner as he was a member of the Young Hegelians, a group of thinkers who followed and analyzed Hegel's teachings. Stirner would grow to resent many members of this group, and even antagonize or satirize them in his book. Stirner built off of the Hegelian Dialectic to form these criticisms, and even to criticize the idea of the Hegelian Dialectic. He sought to bring to the individual's attention that many institutions and ideas are of our own creation and entirely dependent on our perception of them. Stirner likens these institutions to the property of the individual, in that the individual is the one who has the real power over them. The ideas of the State, Religion, Family, etc. are all the property of the individual, and as such the individual may do as they please with these institutions. He argues the individual should strive to use their control over these institutions in order to demolish them in the pursuit of becoming truly unique. (hence Der Enzige "The Unique" in the title.)

Stirner's work was criticized with a sort of begrudging respect by many of the Young Hegelians. Including but not limited to: Marx, Engels, and Feuerbach. While each took their own issues with the idea of Egoism, they would still acknowledge the impact and profound nature of Stirner's work. Stirner would respond to these criticisms, often under pseudonyms so he could pretend he wasn't the one responding.

Stylistic Notes

• Egoism usually wears Stirner's glasses, but this is not consistent nor mandatory. If you use the glasses, feel free to add reflections in the lenses.
• Make certain that the color is distinct from other anarchists by using (#006a66). Colors are a spook though so it's really up to the Unique.

How to draw

Drawing Egoism is very simple:

1. Draw a ball
2. Draw a line in a lighter shade of black (#141414) diagonally through the ball
3. Fill the space below the line the same color of the line and the space above the line teal (#006a66)
4. Add the tiny glasses, and you're done!

Further Reading

Books

• The Ego and Its Own by Max Stirner
• All Things are Nothing to Me: The Unique Philosophy of Max Stirner by Jacob Blumenfeld

Wikipedia

• Egoist anarchism
• Ethical egoism
• Max Stirner