Max Stirner
German philosopher and forerunner of individualist anarchism and egoism.
Johann Caspar Schmidt, who adopted the pen name Max Stirner due to a nickname referencing his prominent forehead, was born in Bayreuth, Bavaria, in 1806. His father died when he was an infant, and after his mother remarried, he was raised in West Prussia. Stirner studied philology at the University of Berlin, where he attended lectures by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel on the history of philosophy, the philosophy of religion, and the subjective spirit. He later studied at the University of Erlangen at the same time as Ludwig Feuerbach. Unable to secure a permanent teaching post from the Prussian government, Stirner instead taught at a school for young girls. In Berlin, he became a regular participant in the discussions of a group of young philosophers known as Die Freien, part of the Young Hegelian movement. This circle included figures such as Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Bruno Bauer, and Arnold Ruge, and they often met at a wine bar. Stirner was a quiet but faithful member of the group. He married twice: first to Agnes Burtz, who died in 1838 after a stillbirth, and later to Marie Dähnhardt, an intellectual from the same circle. Using her inheritance, he attempted to run a dairy business, which quickly failed and led to their separation. His most famous work, *The Unique and Its Property*, was published in 1844 and dedicated to his wife. After this, he translated Adam Smith and Jean-Baptiste Say into German and compiled a history of reaction, but struggled financially. Stirner died in Berlin in 1856 from a tumor, likely caused by an infected insect bite, and only a few former associates attended his funeral. His philosophy is considered a major influence on nihilism, existentialism, psychoanalytic theory, postmodernism, individualist anarchism, and egoism.
- field
- Philosophy
- nationality
- German
- known_for
- The Ego and Its Own; forerunner of nihilism, existentialism, individualist anarchism, and egoism
Verified Timeline
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Johann Caspar Schmidt
- Birth Date
- 25 October 1806
- Birth Place
- Bayreuth, Kingdom of Bavaria
- Death Date
- 26 June 1856
- Death Place
- Berlin, Prussia, German Confederation
- Spouse
- Agnes Burtz · 12 December 1837 · August 1838 · end=died / Marie Dähnhardt · 1843 · 1846 · end=divorce
- Education
- Gymnasium Christian-Ernestinum · de · 3=Gymnasium Christian-Ernestinum · lt=Gymnasium Illustre zu Bayreuth / University of Berlin (no degree) / University of Erlangen (no degree)
- Era
- 19th-century philosophy
- Region
- Western philosophy
- School Tradition
- Continental philosophy / Egoism / Anti-foundationalism / Dialectical egoism / Egoist anarchism (post-mortem) / Post-Hegelianism / Young Hegelians (early)
- Main Interests
- Egoism / ethics / ontology / pedagogy / philosophy of history / philosophy of religion / philosophy of education / property theory / psychology / value theory / philosophy of love / dialectic
- Notable Ideas
- Personalism in education / de · Der Einzige (the unique) / de · Eigenheit (ownness) / Creative nothing / Union of egoists
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Stirner was the only child of Lutheran parents; his father died of tuberculosis when he was an infant. After his mother remarried a pharmacist, he was raised in West Prussia. He studied philology at the University of Berlin, where he attended Hegel’s lectures on the history of philosophy, the philosophy of religion, and subjective spirit. He later studied at the University of Erlangen at the same time as Ludwig Feuerbach. He obtained a teaching certificate but failed to secure a permanent academic post from the Prussian government. Instead, he taught at a school for young girls owned by Madame Gropius while writing his major work. In Berlin, he became a member of the Young Hegelian group Die Freien, frequently meeting at a wine bar with figures including Marx, Engels, and Bruno Bauer. He was a faithful but quiet participant in discussions. His first wife, Agnes Burtz, died in 1838 after giving birth to a stillborn child. He later married Marie Dähnhardt, an intellectual from the same circle, in an informal ceremony. Using her inheritance, he opened a dairy shop that quickly failed, leading to their separation. After his major work, he translated Adam Smith’s *The Wealth of Nations* and Jean-Baptiste Say’s *Traité d’économie politique* into German, and wrote a compilation titled *History of Reaction*. He died in Berlin from a tumor, allegedly from an infected insect bite, with only Bauer and Ludwig Buhl from the Young Hegelians attending his funeral.
Reader's Guide
Stirner's significance lies in his radical individualist philosophy, which rejected all forms of authority—including state, property rights, natural rights, religion, capitalism, communism, humanism, and nationalism—as constraints on the individual. His concept of the 'egoist' urged individuals to act freely according to their own desires, unbound by artificial truths like law or morality. He influenced a wide range of movements, including nihilism, existentialism, postmodernism, individualist anarchism, post-anarchism, and even fascists and right-libertarians. His work also impacted anarcho-communists and post-left anarchists, with some anarchist groups in Glasgow using his 'Union of egoists' as a basis for organizing. Stirner was anti-capitalist and pro-labour, arguing that the state rests on the slavery of labor and that free competition is not truly free without equal means. His legacy remains contested, with interpretations ranging from socialist to individualist, but his critique of authority continues to resonate.
Did You Know?
- Stirner's pen name was a nickname referencing the size of his forehead.
- The most often reproduced portrait of Stirner is a cartoon drawn from memory by Friedrich Engels.
- His wedding to Marie Dähnhardt used copper rings because they forgot to buy wedding rings.
- Stirner translated Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations into German.
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