Stirnerism: The most theoretically completed but the least feasible political philosophy

 

Max Stirner is a political philosopher who invented the idea and the logical construction of individualistic anarchism. This essay comprehensively refers to his political philosophy as Stirnerism. Stirnerism is a unique theory which challenges not only the other non-anarchist political theories but also all the existing anarchist theories. At the same time, Stirnerism seems to be the most theoretically completed but the least feasible political philosophy to implement in real.

In terms of the mainstream political analyses, the establishment of anarchist state falls into either the communism rejecting the private property right and the monetary economy or the survivalist capitalism where none provides the re-distribution of the wealth even when the monopoly oppresses the mass. By means of the feasible policy implementation, it is more likely to end up with resulting in such a state. Stirnerism attempting both protecting the private property right and preventing the wealth monopoly by few.

Stirnerism claims for relinquishing not only the hereditary monarchy and aristocracy but also the nation state itself as well as the entire legal system propping up it. This is the characteristics shared with the other forms of anarchism.  In contrast to other forms of anarchism, Stirnerism distinguishes itself from the contemporary anarchism by insisting on preserving the private property right for each individual and the market economy as a form of their freedom of exchange and choice. It appears each individual's own right to materially deserve her/himself and their own natural desire and own freedom of choice as one of its fundamental principles. Stirnerism regards that the existence of nation state government hinders individual freedom and right instead of protecting them.

 Stirnerism also claims for preventing the monopoly by few hijacking the pure free market economy to protect majority individuals' right to enjoy their freedom and right. In another word, it insists on discouraging another form of government, such as a monopolistic corporation and an organised criminal faction, monopolising both economy and society. This is what John Maynard Keynes thought of with the government positive intervention by reforming its governance instead of abolishing it. By means of economic and social policy, Stirnerism and Keynesian share the similar quality despite their complete characteristic difference. 

To accomplish these Stirnerist attempts, the existence of the cooperative which is sustained by each individual's voluntary contribution to a public administration. The efficient and fair administration of public goods and services will be the key to accomplish Stirnerian deal which is identical to Keynesian policy. Stirnerism replaces nation state government with an alternative operatable form of governance without a nation state, which is the spontaneously established cooperative by the voluntary union of individuals.

This problem which this public sector model based on the cooperative faces is that it requires the high competency level of all individuals participating in its socioeconomics. Like the P2P computer network system, all the participants must have a reasonably high specification level to cooperatively sustain the entire network structure. Each individual must be knowledgeable about the fair judgement and aware of their self-responsibility of contributing to their public goods and services (I.e., the free ride must be prevented with the best effort).  

Instead of one or few authorities commanding the majority to do what they have got to do in their daily life, the majority mass have a lot of responsibilities as an exchange for their freedom and right.  These mass individual must be enlightened enough to look after themselves and be knowledgable and responsible about forming a contract with the other individuals.  In another word, individuals have to be aware of themselves as social beings who are responsible enough to accomplish their social duty as their exchange for living there with their autonomic freedom and right. 

Overall, having taken these issues into consideration, Stirnerism sounds really ideal whilst it also sounds a lot of works to implement in real. More than the other political philosophical theories, it requires almost all individuals participating together to be enlightened enough to understand  and fulfil the required specification necessary for Stirnerian P2P style social contacts.  Perhaps, some future technological advancements may provide individuals with the solution to enable it to be feasible. Hence, it is still challenging to put Stirnerism into practice in real world even though it is still a very attractive as well as interesting theory worth considering for its implementation.