Immorality as a Philosophic Principle | Paul Carus | SA1230

Paul Carus (1852 – 1919) was a philosopher and after moving to America from Germany became the editor of the Open Court publishing company where he was editor of The Monist, a philosophy journal still being published today. Carus' specialty was in the field of comparative religion, and referred to himself as "an atheist who loved God" and was a Spinozan.

His article "Immorality as a Philosophic Principle" is reprinted here in facsimile from the July 1899 issue of The Monist. In it, Carus introduces the reader to Nietzsche's ideas and this "aristocratic individualism". "It is a consistent anarchism, a courageous immoralism, and a proud aristocratism, the ruthless shout of triumph of the victor who hails the doctrine of the survival of the strongest and craftiest as a 'joyful science.'"

In a section titled "Nietzsche's Disciples", Carus covers some of the work of egoists of the time, including the journal The Eagle and The Serpent in England and Der Eigene in Germany. Strangely enough, he refers to Max Stirner as being an "expounder of Nietzsche's philosophy" even though he predated him by decades. Further, Ragnar Redbeard and his book Might is Right are touched upon, as well as Clarence L. Swartz and Elbert Hubbard. Readers of Der Geist and the Stand Alone series will be well familiar with all the names mentioned in this section.