Beyond “glittering Hope”: Introducing Max Stirner’s Unique Possibilities to Social Work

Authors

• Erica Fonseca, Portland State UniversityFollow

Published In

Critical Social Work

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-24-2023

Subjects

Stirner, Max, 1806-1856 -- Influence

Abstract

Max Stirner (1806-1856) is an iconoclastic 19th-century philosopher who, despite a period of obscurity, has remained somewhat influential – particularly within segments of the anarchist milieu. This conceptual article maintains Stirner’s writing has something to offer social work thinking and practice. Using Stirner’s most influential work, The Ego and Its Own, I will present three of Stirner’s terms: Specters, The Creative Nothing, and Ownness. I conclude with a presentation of three “unique” prospects for social work that draws from Stirner’s anti-teleological and anti-foundationalist approach to liberation.

Rights

Copyright (c) 2026 The Authors Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Locate the Document

https://doi.org/10.22329/csw.v24i1.8072

DOI

10.22329/csw.v24i1.8072

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/45038

Citation Details

Fonseca, E. (2023). Beyond “Glittering Hope”: Introducing Max Stirner’s Unique Possibilities to Social Work. Critical Social Work, 24(1).