Editing Egoism (section)

=== Fascism ===
The philosophies of both Nietzsche and Stirner were heavily appropriated (or possibly expropriated) by [[fascist]] and [[proto-fascist]] ideologies. Nietzsche in particular has infamously been represented as a predecessor to [[Nazism]] and a substantial academic effort was necessary to disassociate his ideas from their aforementioned appropriation.<ref name=":7">{{cite book |title=Main Currents of Marxism |first=Leszek |last=Kołakowski |author-link=Leszek Kołakowski |orig-year=1st pub. 1976 |year=2005 |publisher=[[W.W. Norton and Company]] |pages=137–138}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Keith |last=Ansell-Pearson |title=An Introduction to Nietzsche as Political Thinker: The Perfect Nihilist |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=1994 |pages=33–34}}</ref>

{{quote|text=At first sight, Nazi totalitarianism may seem the opposite of Stirner's radical individualism. But fascism was above all an attempt to dissolve the social ties created by history and replace them by artificial bonds among individuals who were expected to render explicit obedience to the state on grounds of absolute egoism. Fascist education combined the tenets of asocial egoism and unquestioning conformism, the latter being the means by which the individual secured his own niche in the system. Stirner's philosophy has nothing to say against conformism, it only objects to the Ego being subordinated to any higher principle: the egoist is free to adjust to the world if it is clear he will better himself by doing so. His 'rebellion' may take the form of utter servility if it will further his interest; what he must not do is to be bound by 'general' values or myths of humanity. The totalitarian ideal of a barrack-like society from which all real, historical ties have been eliminated is perfectly consistent with Stirner's principles: the egoist, by his very nature, must be prepared to fight under any flag that suits his convenience.<ref name=":7" />|author=[[Leszek Kołakowski]]|source=''[[Main Currents of Marxism]]'', pp.137-138}}