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Peculiarity
The union is Stirner’s vision of a utopian society that transcends liberalism and communism alike by somehow making property both collective and individually owned. Marx and Engels find the union to be a particularly nonsensical part of Stirner’s philosophically, arguing that it is materially identical to bourgeois society and the system of private property.
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The Union Term Timeline in The German Ideology
The timeline below shows where the term The Union appears in The German Ideology. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Vol. 1, Part 3: Saint Max, Section 3
Stirner proposes a new regime of common property, the union, which simultaneously holds property collectively and gives a portion to each individual. Marx and Engels...
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Stirner’s union does not abolish money—his bourgeois mindset prevents him from imaging any other means of exchange,...
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Ultimately, Marx and Engels argue, the union retains bourgeois property as it exists, changing only the conceptual interpretation, arguing for mutual exploitation....
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Finally, Stirner suggests that rebellion may not even be necessary to create the union. On the contrary, voluntary self-association with like-minded individuals is enough. This, to Marx and Engels,...
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