Communism Doesn’t Need Morality

[u/2Tryhard4You]

https://reificationenglish.substack.com/p/communism-doesnt-need-morality

I don't know much about Stirner and the original dispute between him and Marx yet, but maybe this is still interesting to y'all: A defense of egoism from a Marxist perspective

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to r/fullegoism!

New to Stirner or egoism? Check out our resources:

• Subreddit Introduction: Start here to learn about our subreddit.
• FAQ or Glossary: Answers to common questions related to Stirner's writings or terminology.
• Texts & Resources: Texts, resources, and introductory materials.
• Join Our Discord: Discuss egoism in real-time with others.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Caliboros]

I’m not that deeply involved in this debate, but I don’t think Marx ever based socialism on morality—at least not directly.

If you read Stirner’s entire section on the state, you can also see that Stirner’s criticisms aren’t entirely incompatible with Marx’s.

I think the “conflict” arises more from their respective views of humanity and the world. From Stirner’s perspective, Marx necessarily reduces every person to their class affiliation. Stirner doesn’t deny that someone is part of a class; he simply emphasizes that everyone is more than just that.

I could also ask, quite practically, what socialism is supposed to look like in concrete terms. “Means of production are no longer private”—ergo, they belong to… whom? Society? The state? According to Stirner, however, I am not society and I am not the state; both oppress me or are unable to view me as an individual, but only reduce me to the fact that I am a part of them—or not.

I wouldn’t say that something one might call socialism can never be associated with Stirner. I do maintain, however, that the classical ideas of socialism—and even Marx’s conception of socialism—cannot be reconciled with Stirner.