The Egoism v. Natural Rights Debate: The pivotal debate that split the 19th century individualist anarchist movement in two. (This essay constitutes Chapter Four of my book The Debates of Liberty.)

Excerpt: As to the central tenet of egoism—the assertion that human beings all act to attain pleasure (including relief from pain)—Kelly noted a circularity in Tak Kak’s position. “The only proof that can be given that any action is pleasurable rather than painful is to show that it is performed,” Kelly observed. “[T]hat is, we have to fall back upon the general principle that actions are performed because they are pleasurable, the very thing requiring demonstration.” Moreover, if all actions were egoistic, it made no sense to speak of the superiority of egoism—as Tak Kak was wont to do—because it was necessary to have non-egoistic actions against which to rate the egoistic ones.