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viii
PUBLISHER'S PREFACE
stacles, he carried his task to completion, and his biography of
Stirner appeared in Berlin in 1898. It is a tribute to the thor-
oughness of Mackay's work that since its publication not one im-
portant fact about Stirner has been discovered by anybody.
During his years of investigation Mackay's advertising for infor-
mation had created a new interest in Stirner, which was enhanced
by the sudden fame of the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche, an
author whose intellectual kinship with Stirner has been a subject
of much controversy, " Der Einzige," previously obtainable only
in an expensive form, was included in Philipp Reclam's Uni-
versal-Bibliothek, and this cheap edition has enjoyed a wide and
ever-increasing circulation. During the last dozen years the
book has been translated twice into French, once into Italian,
once into Russian, and possibly into other languages. The
Scandinavian critic, Brandes, has written on Stirner. A large
and appreciative volume, entitled " L'Individualisme Anar-
chiste: Max Stirner," from the pen of Prof. Victor Basch, of the
University of Rennes, has appeared in Paris. Another large
and sympathetic volume, " Max Stirner," written by Dr.
Anselm Ruest, has been published very recently in Berlin. Dr.
Paul Eltzbacher, in his work, " Der Anarchismus," gives a
chapter to Stirner, making him one of the seven typical
Anarchists, beginning with William Godwin and ending with
Tolstoi, of whom his book treats. There is hardly a notable
magazine or a review on the Continent that has not given at
least one leading article to the subject of Stirner. Upon the
initiative of Mackay and with the aid of other admirers a suit-
able stone has been placed above the philosopher's previously-
neglected grave, and a memorial tablet upon the house in
Berlin where he died in 1856; and this spring another is to
be placed upon the house in Bayreuth where he was born
in 1806. As a result of these various efforts, and though but
little has been written about Stirner in the English language,
his name is now known at least to thousands in America and
England where formerly it was known only to hundreds.
PUBLISHER'S PREFACE
ix
Therefore conditions are now more favorable for the reception
of this volume than they were when I formed the design of
publishing it, more than twenty years ago.
The problem of securing a reasonably good translation (for in
the case of a work presenting difficulties so enormous it was idle
to hope for an adequate translation) was finally solved by en-
trusting the task to Steven T. Byington, a scholar of remark-
able attainments, whose specialty is philology, and who is
also one of the ablest workers in the propaganda of Anarch-
ism. But, for further security from error, it was agreed with
Mr. Byington that his translation should have the benefit of
revision by Dr. Walker, the most thorough American student of
Stirner, and by Emma Heller Schumm and George Schumm,
who are not only sympathetic with Stirner, but familiar with the
history of his time, and who enjoy a knowledge of English and
German that makes it difficult to decide which is their native
tongue. It was also agreed that, upon any point of difference
between the translator and his revisers which consultation
might fail to solve, the publisher should decide. This method
has been followed, and in a considerable number of instances it
has fallen to me to make a decision. It is only fair to say,
therefore, that the responsibility for special errors and imperfec-
tions properly rests on my shoulders, whereas, on the other hand,
the credit for whatever general excellence the translation may
possess belongs with the same propriety to Mr. Byington and his
coadjutors. One thing is certain: its defects are due to no lack
of loving care and pains. And I think I may add with confi-
dence, while realizing fully how far short of perfection it neces-
sarily falls, that it may safely challenge comparison with the
translations that have been made into other languages.
In particular, I am responsible for the admittedly erroneous
rendering of the title. " The Ego and His Own " is not an exact
English equivalent of " Der Einzige und sein Eigentum." But
then, there is no exact English equivalent. Perhaps the nearest
is " The Unique One and His Property." But the unique one is