The relation between Durkheim's (I951) concepts of anomie and egoism has been virtually unexplored in the substantial body of literature on social pathology. While the obscurity of Durkheim's distinction has frequently been commented upon, it is implicitly assumed to be irrelevant for contemporary theorization in social pathology. Against this view, two theses will be advanced: first, had Durkheim pursued and attempted to clarify his distinction between the two concepts, he would have been forced to re-examine the presuppositions upon which his sociology had been based. Secondly, despite the difficulties in Durkheim's theory in which the concepts of anomie and egoism play a crucial part, a distinction between them still has to be drawn which in fact retains some elements of their original meaning. All contemporary studies of anomie have neglected the distinction between anomie and egoism with the result that social conditions, psychological states, and processes which are entirely different from one another have been assimilated.