The Ego and Its Own is an 1844 work by Max Stirner. It presents a radically nominalist and individualist critique of Christianity, nationalism, and traditional morality, as well as humanism, utilitarianism, liberalism, and much of the then-burgeoning socialist movement. Stirner advocates for an amoral (though not inherently immoral or antisocial) egoism.

Ego emphasizes owness as self-description, moving past fixed conceptions of the Self and Other through the recognition of power relations and self-discovery of the mind.

Johann Kaspar Schmidt (1806-1856), also known as Max Stirner, was a German philosopher who is often considered one of the pioneers in anarchism, nihilism, existentialism, and postmodernism. His ideas challenge the enslavement of the mind by religion and nationalism, advocating for individual freedom and autonomy.