Max Stirner, born Johann Kaspar Schmidt, was a notable German philosopher. Born on 25 October 1806, Stirner is recognized as a post-Hegelian philosopher, primarily dealing with concepts of social alienation and self-consciousness.

Stirner is often considered a precursor to various philosophical movements, including nihilism, existentialism, psychoanalytic theory, postmodernism, and individualist anarchism. His major work, The Unique and Its Property (German: Der Einzige und sein Eigentum), was first published in 1844 in Leipzig and has since been translated and published in numerous editions.

Despite his influential work, Stirner did not achieve significant recognition during his lifetime, and he did not affiliate himself with any specific philosophical movement, despite his Hegelian influences. He passed away on 26 June 1856.