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egoism - anarchism vs archism

hey. has anyone come across any articles from an "egoist" standpoint arguing why one has no reason to dominate others (or that dominating others leads to bad consequences, etc)? i'm asking this because i recently read sidney parker's "archists, anarchists, and egoists" - https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/sidney-e-parker-archists-anarch… - where sidney lays out that any egoist has a good reason to dominate if they perceive it to be advantageous.

Anonmause (not verified) Sun, 07/13/2025 - 15:05

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

I guess you could go with Errico Malatesta and Leon Tolstoy to see why submitting someone with violence is useless and Piotr Kropotkin to see why is better to cooperate as equals

Aristoxène (not verified) Sun, 07/13/2025 - 15:20

In reply to by Anonmause (not verified)

I think you could consult the literature of these very people; that is to say, European individualist anarchists. Because in consulting it, I have very rarely seen this appeal, on the one hand, to the ego (which seems more like a thing of American individualist anarchism) and have often seen texts precisely opposing these questions. In the literature added on Wikisource (sorry, it's in French but relatively short), you have 'Byzantinism and Sloth' (Byzantinisme et Avachissement) and 'The Moralists' (Les Moralistes) by Michel Antoine, which touch upon these questions. In the first of these two texts, he directly opposes all tendencies of anarchism that he perceives as denying the anarchist idea in their essence – and in my opinion, what you're describing probably falls within that; in 'The Moralists', he shows how anarchists ARE moralists (in the positive sense of the term) and that, consequently, one cannot do everything and cannot contradict the anarchist idea internally, or else one isn't an anarchist. I think these two texts could be interesting because they are written by one of the main figures of European individualist anarchism and illegalism, which are the movements generally associated with this idea of the ego, etc.

'I won't dwell further on the absurdity of proclaiming that good and evil are meaningless, and therefore it's impossible to differentiate between these two terms. If that were the case, we'd have no reason to hate tyranny, authority, and violence, nor to prefer liberty over slavery. A kick in the ass and a caress would be equivalent, and we wouldn't be able to say if it's better to cultivate chervil than hemlock.

Frankly, it's pathetic to have to refute such nonsense. I recognize in this the influence of that unfortunate philosopher whose immeasurable pride led him to madness. But while Nietzsche's dementia may excuse him, our reason must reject him. A sick man, and what's more, sick in the intellect, cannot be an authority on intellectual matters.'
- The Moralists, Michel Antoine

Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 07/13/2025 - 16:54

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

yes, and furthermore, a reason as to why it'd be bad for you to engage in such a behavior. primarily asking because a lot of fascist motivation nowadays seems to seek violence and domination as an end in itself, rather than as a mere means, and this kind of amoral egoism is subsequently painted as inclined to fascism.

Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/14/2025 - 10:31

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Why exactly would you be painting "amoral egoism" inclined to fascism? Garbage picture, start over. You can't expect me treat this like a good-faith question about egoists.

Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/14/2025 - 11:08

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

i said it in the comment -- a lot of fascists _desire_ to dominate, subjugate, and exercise violence against the out-group. the only way i see to get around this from the hypothetical fascist's POV is to accept a moral obligation - that is, not to dominate.

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