John Dunn

First posted on Wednesday, 7 May 2014 at 20:13

Max Stirner from a drawing by Friedrich Engels















Democracy subjects each and every individual to an abstraction - the People. ‘Das Man’ is an abstraction to which the ego is in thrall. Stand against the religion of humanism and face being criminalised, observed Max Stirner. Satre at least had an inkling of the truth when he said, ‘Hell is other people’.

John Dunn.

From The Ego and His Own by Max Stirner.

“For in the State the unbridled I – I, as I belong to myself alone – cannot come to my fulfillment and realization. Every ego is from birth a criminal to begin with against the people, the State. Hence it is that it does really keep watch over all; it sees in each one an – egoist, and it is afraid of the egoist. It presumes the worst about each one, and takes care, police-care, that "no harm happens to the State," ne quid respublica detrimenti capiat. The unbridled ego – and this we originally are, and in our secret inward parts we remain so always – is the never-ceasing criminal in the State. The man whom his boldness, his will, his inconsiderateness and fearlessness lead is surrounded with spies by the State, by the people. I say, by the people! The people (think it something wonderful, you good-hearted folks, what you have in the people) – the people is full of police sentiments through and through. – Only he who renounces his ego, who practices "self-renunciation," is acceptable to the people.”

Posted by John Dunn.