Patrick Pearse: Psychobiographical Reflections on an Enigmatic, Paradoxical Personality

To date historians have focused almost exclusively on Patrick Pearse’s key role in the 1916 Easter Rising to the extent that there is much less information about his personality development and characteristics. They have portrayed the elusive, paradoxical Patrick as nationalist, revolutionary and ma...

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Main Authors: Orr, Patricia Meredith, Landy, Orla, Lynch, Kevin, McLoughlin, Donal, O'Rourke, Niamh, Sheridan, Clare, Tuohey, Michelle
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAHkartell 2016-06-01
Series:Studies in Arts and Humanities
Subjects:
Online Access:http://sahjournal.com/index.php/sah/article/view/51
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spelling doaj-46efcc0bd07e4f4499c43a7ccbcf86ef2020-11-24T22:01:58ZengSAHkartellStudies in Arts and Humanities2009-826X2009-82782016-06-0121335110.18193/sah.v2i1.51 Patrick Pearse: Psychobiographical Reflections on an Enigmatic, Paradoxical PersonalityOrr, Patricia Meredith0Landy, Orla1Lynch, Kevin2McLoughlin, Donal3O'Rourke, Niamh4Sheridan, Clare5Tuohey, Michelle6Dublin Business SchoolDublin Business SchoolDublin Business SchoolDublin Business SchoolDublin Business SchoolDublin Business SchoolDublin Business SchoolTo date historians have focused almost exclusively on Patrick Pearse’s key role in the 1916 Easter Rising to the extent that there is much less information about his personality development and characteristics. They have portrayed the elusive, paradoxical Patrick as nationalist, revolutionary and martyr or as a flawed and failed human being. Moran, agreeing with comments made at an earlier time by F.S.L. Lyons, suggests that, to have any real understanding of Patrick’s role in the rebellion and the events that led up to it, historians need to focus more attention on understanding the man himself.[1] The approach used in this article is psychobiographical, a methodology that applies psychological theory to biographical information in order to more fully understand an individual’s personality and achievements. In the case of Patrick Pearse the biographical information focuses on consensual aspects of his family background, his life experiences, his role as educator and his emergence as leader and hero. With regard to psychological theory, there are many empirically supported perspectives than could have been applied in this psychobiography. However, for the purposes of this particular article three perspectives have been selected. Drawing on some main tenets of the psychoanalytic, humanistic and trait approaches, the authors hope to provide a broader understanding of the influences and experiences that may have shaped Pearse as son, sibling, peer, educator and ultimately as a main instigator of the 1916 Rising and one of Ireland’s most famous patriots.http://sahjournal.com/index.php/sah/article/view/51Ireland--History--Easter Rising1916; PearsePadraig1879-1916; Biography— Psychology; Archetype (Psychology); Personality; Humanistic psychology; Jungian psychoanalysis; FreudSigmund1856-1939
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Orr, Patricia Meredith
Landy, Orla
Lynch, Kevin
McLoughlin, Donal
O'Rourke, Niamh
Sheridan, Clare
Tuohey, Michelle
spellingShingle Orr, Patricia Meredith
Landy, Orla
Lynch, Kevin
McLoughlin, Donal
O'Rourke, Niamh
Sheridan, Clare
Tuohey, Michelle
Patrick Pearse: Psychobiographical Reflections on an Enigmatic, Paradoxical Personality
Studies in Arts and Humanities
Ireland--History--Easter Rising
1916; Pearse
Padraig
1879-1916; Biography— Psychology; Archetype (Psychology); Personality; Humanistic psychology; Jungian psychoanalysis; Freud
Sigmund
1856-1939
author_facet Orr, Patricia Meredith
Landy, Orla
Lynch, Kevin
McLoughlin, Donal
O'Rourke, Niamh
Sheridan, Clare
Tuohey, Michelle
author_sort Orr, Patricia Meredith
title Patrick Pearse: Psychobiographical Reflections on an Enigmatic, Paradoxical Personality
title_short Patrick Pearse: Psychobiographical Reflections on an Enigmatic, Paradoxical Personality
title_full Patrick Pearse: Psychobiographical Reflections on an Enigmatic, Paradoxical Personality
title_fullStr Patrick Pearse: Psychobiographical Reflections on an Enigmatic, Paradoxical Personality
title_full_unstemmed Patrick Pearse: Psychobiographical Reflections on an Enigmatic, Paradoxical Personality
title_sort patrick pearse: psychobiographical reflections on an enigmatic, paradoxical personality
publisher SAHkartell
series Studies in Arts and Humanities
issn 2009-826X
2009-8278
publishDate 2016-06-01
description To date historians have focused almost exclusively on Patrick Pearse’s key role in the 1916 Easter Rising to the extent that there is much less information about his personality development and characteristics. They have portrayed the elusive, paradoxical Patrick as nationalist, revolutionary and martyr or as a flawed and failed human being. Moran, agreeing with comments made at an earlier time by F.S.L. Lyons, suggests that, to have any real understanding of Patrick’s role in the rebellion and the events that led up to it, historians need to focus more attention on understanding the man himself.[1] The approach used in this article is psychobiographical, a methodology that applies psychological theory to biographical information in order to more fully understand an individual’s personality and achievements. In the case of Patrick Pearse the biographical information focuses on consensual aspects of his family background, his life experiences, his role as educator and his emergence as leader and hero. With regard to psychological theory, there are many empirically supported perspectives than could have been applied in this psychobiography. However, for the purposes of this particular article three perspectives have been selected. Drawing on some main tenets of the psychoanalytic, humanistic and trait approaches, the authors hope to provide a broader understanding of the influences and experiences that may have shaped Pearse as son, sibling, peer, educator and ultimately as a main instigator of the 1916 Rising and one of Ireland’s most famous patriots.
topic Ireland--History--Easter Rising
1916; Pearse
Padraig
1879-1916; Biography— Psychology; Archetype (Psychology); Personality; Humanistic psychology; Jungian psychoanalysis; Freud
Sigmund
1856-1939
url http://sahjournal.com/index.php/sah/article/view/51
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