In search for nationalism in early modern Ireland

F. E. Levin

doi:10.21638/11701/spbu02.2017.315

In search for nationalism in early modern Ireland

F. E. Levin^*

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Review › Forskning › peer review

Abstract

The study represents reflection on a recent publication of articles by the renowned Irish historian Brendan Bradshaw "'And so began the Irish nation': nationality, national consciousness and nationalism in pre-modern Ireland" dedicated to the issue of national consciousness and nationalism in early modern Ireland. Bradshaw's materials are concerned not only with local Irish questions, but also with the debate between ethnosymbolists and modernists about the roots of nation and nationalism. Bradshaw proves, rather convincingly, that the early Modern period was the defining time for the subsequent development of identity processes on the island. He highlights the institutional factor of the formation of the idea of the Irish nation. It was the emergence of the kingdom of Ireland in 1541 within British composite monarchy and the rising level of political consciousness of English elites in Ireland that enabled manifestations of the idea. However, there are certain imperfections of the methodological nature in the collection, which is hardly surprising, since the materials are republished and do not correspond to the current scholarly experience of humanities. Having formulated a vague definition of nationalism as 'patriotically inspired commitment to upholding the freedom, identity and unity of one's nation', the Irish historian attempts to find it in the examined period, thus endowing personalities of the 16^th and 17^th centuries with a level of political thinking which is characteristic of the Modern age. Bradshaw's perception of the texts is quite straightforward since he considers them to be representative of group ideology and ignores their individuality. The fragments of the text provided by him are sometimes interpreted literally on the basis of the context of the period without the recourse to discourse analysis. As the result of such a reading of sources, the identity processes of early Modern time are represented in an overly simplified way. The author of this paper tries to demonstrate which factors impeded formation of nationalism in the examined period.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo Universiteta, Istoriya
Vol/bind	62
Nummer	3
Sider (fra-til)	645-654
Antal sider	10
ISSN	1812-9323
DOI	https://doi.org/10.21638/11701/spbu02.2017.315
Status	Udgivet - 2017
Udgivet eksternt	Ja

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10.21638/11701/spbu02.2017.315

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@article{806bc16add5e44418f0123dad69cea03,

title = "In search for nationalism in early modern Ireland",

abstract = "The study represents reflection on a recent publication of articles by the renowned Irish historian Brendan Bradshaw {"}'And so began the Irish nation': nationality, national consciousness and nationalism in pre-modern Ireland{"} dedicated to the issue of national consciousness and nationalism in early modern Ireland. Bradshaw's materials are concerned not only with local Irish questions, but also with the debate between ethnosymbolists and modernists about the roots of nation and nationalism. Bradshaw proves, rather convincingly, that the early Modern period was the defining time for the subsequent development of identity processes on the island. He highlights the institutional factor of the formation of the idea of the Irish nation. It was the emergence of the kingdom of Ireland in 1541 within British composite monarchy and the rising level of political consciousness of English elites in Ireland that enabled manifestations of the idea. However, there are certain imperfections of the methodological nature in the collection, which is hardly surprising, since the materials are republished and do not correspond to the current scholarly experience of humanities. Having formulated a vague definition of nationalism as 'patriotically inspired commitment to upholding the freedom, identity and unity of one's nation', the Irish historian attempts to find it in the examined period, thus endowing personalities of the 16th and 17th centuries with a level of political thinking which is characteristic of the Modern age. Bradshaw's perception of the texts is quite straightforward since he considers them to be representative of group ideology and ignores their individuality. The fragments of the text provided by him are sometimes interpreted literally on the basis of the context of the period without the recourse to discourse analysis. As the result of such a reading of sources, the identity processes of early Modern time are represented in an overly simplified way. The author of this paper tries to demonstrate which factors impeded formation of nationalism in the examined period.",

keywords = "British composite monarchy, Early Modern Ireland, Ethnosymbolism, Irish nation, Modernism, Nationalism, The kingdom of Ireland",

author = "Levin, {F. E.}",

note = "Funding Information: Levin Feliks Evgenyevich — Research Associate, Philipp University of Marburg, 10, Biegenstra{\ss}e, Marburg, 35032, Germany; [email protected] Левин Феликс Евгеньевич — cтажер-исследователь, Марбургский университет им. Филиппа, Бигенштрассе, 10, 35032, Марбург, Германия; [email protected] This study was funded by Russian fund of Humanities (RHF) 16-01-008 {\textquoteleft}Institutes, theory and practice of Western European monarchies of the XVI–XVIII centuries{\textquoteright}. {\textcopyright} Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет, 2017 Однако в сборнике есть существенные недочеты методологического характера, что не-удивительно, поскольку переизданные в нем материалы на данный момент не совсем соот-ветствуют современному состоянию гуманитарного знания. Нечетко сформулировав опреде-ление национализма как «патриотического стремления поддерживать свободу, идентичность и единство своей нации», ирландский историк стремится увидеть его в исследуемом периоде, тем самым навязывая персонажам XVI–XVII вв. тот уровень политического мышления, кото-рое было характерно лишь для эпохи Модерна. Брэдшоу воспринимает исследуемые тексты достаточно однобоко, поскольку видит в них репрезентацию групповой идеологии, игнорируя их индивидуальность. Порою он буквально интерпретирует приведенные им фрагменты тек-стов, исходя из общего контекста периода, не прибегая к дискурс-анализу. В результате подоб-ного прочтения источников складывается не совсем правильная картина тех идентитарных процессов, которые происходили в Ирландии раннего Нового времени. Автор исследования пытается показать, какие факторы сдерживали формирование национализма в данный пери-од. Библиогр. 38 назв.",

year = "2017",

doi = "10.21638/11701/spbu02.2017.315",

language = "English",

volume = "62",

pages = "645--654",

journal = "Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo Universiteta, Istoriya",

issn = "1812-9323",

publisher = "Saint Petersburg State University",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - In search for nationalism in early modern Ireland

AU - Levin, F. E.

N1 - Funding Information: Levin Feliks Evgenyevich — Research Associate, Philipp University of Marburg, 10, Biegenstraße, Marburg, 35032, Germany; [email protected] Левин Феликс Евгеньевич — cтажер-исследователь, Марбургский университет им. Филиппа, Бигенштрассе, 10, 35032, Марбург, Германия; [email protected] This study was funded by Russian fund of Humanities (RHF) 16-01-008 ‘Institutes, theory and practice of Western European monarchies of the XVI–XVIII centuries’. © Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет, 2017 Однако в сборнике есть существенные недочеты методологического характера, что не-удивительно, поскольку переизданные в нем материалы на данный момент не совсем соот-ветствуют современному состоянию гуманитарного знания. Нечетко сформулировав опреде-ление национализма как «патриотического стремления поддерживать свободу, идентичность и единство своей нации», ирландский историк стремится увидеть его в исследуемом периоде, тем самым навязывая персонажам XVI–XVII вв. тот уровень политического мышления, кото-рое было характерно лишь для эпохи Модерна. Брэдшоу воспринимает исследуемые тексты достаточно однобоко, поскольку видит в них репрезентацию групповой идеологии, игнорируя их индивидуальность. Порою он буквально интерпретирует приведенные им фрагменты тек-стов, исходя из общего контекста периода, не прибегая к дискурс-анализу. В результате подоб-ного прочтения источников складывается не совсем правильная картина тех идентитарных процессов, которые происходили в Ирландии раннего Нового времени. Автор исследования пытается показать, какие факторы сдерживали формирование национализма в данный пери-од. Библиогр. 38 назв.

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - The study represents reflection on a recent publication of articles by the renowned Irish historian Brendan Bradshaw "'And so began the Irish nation': nationality, national consciousness and nationalism in pre-modern Ireland" dedicated to the issue of national consciousness and nationalism in early modern Ireland. Bradshaw's materials are concerned not only with local Irish questions, but also with the debate between ethnosymbolists and modernists about the roots of nation and nationalism. Bradshaw proves, rather convincingly, that the early Modern period was the defining time for the subsequent development of identity processes on the island. He highlights the institutional factor of the formation of the idea of the Irish nation. It was the emergence of the kingdom of Ireland in 1541 within British composite monarchy and the rising level of political consciousness of English elites in Ireland that enabled manifestations of the idea. However, there are certain imperfections of the methodological nature in the collection, which is hardly surprising, since the materials are republished and do not correspond to the current scholarly experience of humanities. Having formulated a vague definition of nationalism as 'patriotically inspired commitment to upholding the freedom, identity and unity of one's nation', the Irish historian attempts to find it in the examined period, thus endowing personalities of the 16th and 17th centuries with a level of political thinking which is characteristic of the Modern age. Bradshaw's perception of the texts is quite straightforward since he considers them to be representative of group ideology and ignores their individuality. The fragments of the text provided by him are sometimes interpreted literally on the basis of the context of the period without the recourse to discourse analysis. As the result of such a reading of sources, the identity processes of early Modern time are represented in an overly simplified way. The author of this paper tries to demonstrate which factors impeded formation of nationalism in the examined period.

AB - The study represents reflection on a recent publication of articles by the renowned Irish historian Brendan Bradshaw "'And so began the Irish nation': nationality, national consciousness and nationalism in pre-modern Ireland" dedicated to the issue of national consciousness and nationalism in early modern Ireland. Bradshaw's materials are concerned not only with local Irish questions, but also with the debate between ethnosymbolists and modernists about the roots of nation and nationalism. Bradshaw proves, rather convincingly, that the early Modern period was the defining time for the subsequent development of identity processes on the island. He highlights the institutional factor of the formation of the idea of the Irish nation. It was the emergence of the kingdom of Ireland in 1541 within British composite monarchy and the rising level of political consciousness of English elites in Ireland that enabled manifestations of the idea. However, there are certain imperfections of the methodological nature in the collection, which is hardly surprising, since the materials are republished and do not correspond to the current scholarly experience of humanities. Having formulated a vague definition of nationalism as 'patriotically inspired commitment to upholding the freedom, identity and unity of one's nation', the Irish historian attempts to find it in the examined period, thus endowing personalities of the 16th and 17th centuries with a level of political thinking which is characteristic of the Modern age. Bradshaw's perception of the texts is quite straightforward since he considers them to be representative of group ideology and ignores their individuality. The fragments of the text provided by him are sometimes interpreted literally on the basis of the context of the period without the recourse to discourse analysis. As the result of such a reading of sources, the identity processes of early Modern time are represented in an overly simplified way. The author of this paper tries to demonstrate which factors impeded formation of nationalism in the examined period.

KW - British composite monarchy

KW - Early Modern Ireland

KW - Ethnosymbolism

KW - Irish nation

KW - Modernism

KW - Nationalism

KW - The kingdom of Ireland

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DO - 10.21638/11701/spbu02.2017.315

M3 - Review

AN - SCOPUS:85031094072

SN - 1812-9323

VL - 62

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JO - Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo Universiteta, Istoriya

JF - Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo Universiteta, Istoriya

IS - 3

ER -

In search for nationalism in early modern Ireland

Abstract

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