The National Being

George William Russell, also known by the pseudonym Æ, was a prominent Irish polymath who wrote on many topics related to Irish independence. In The National Being Russell outlines a vision of how an independent Ireland could create a unifying national spirit. This spirit would respect the rural roots of Ireland and draw heavily on ideas from the cooperative movement. Russell is very aware of the difficulties in solving the multifaceted problem of creating a nation, and he describes in detail many of the pitfalls that could occur: from a centralized representative democracy failing to respect individual rights, to a press that would rather stir resentments than properly inform the public. Russell reiterates that such a project cannot be achieved by hate, and that the only way forward towards nationhood is for the would-be nation’s citizens to be caring. To accomplish this, the economic system based on individualism and selfishness needs to be rethought. He emphasizes the need for Ireland to choose its own destiny and to not simply copy or reject outright the examples of other countries.