DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The National Being: Some Thoughts on an Irish Polity" by George William Russell. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

George William Russell (18671935), better known by his pseudonym AE, was an Irish writer, editor, critic, poet, painter, and Irish nationalist. He was an influential figure in the Irish Literary Revival, a movement that aimed to promote Irish literature and culture. Russell's work reflects a deep immersion in mysticism, theosophy, and the occult, which imbues his writings with a particular spiritual intensity. 'The National Being: Some Thoughts on an Irish Polity' is one of his significant non-fiction works, wherein he explores ideas on the soul of a nation and the development of a cohesive Irish state against the backdrop of the emerging Irish independence movement. In this piece, Russell emphasizes a distinctive Irish consciousness and social harmony as the foundation for a prosperous and self-sustaining nation. Despite his contributions to political thought, he is perhaps more widely celebrated for his lyrical and visionary poetry, which conveys a pantheistic and mystical view of the universe. Russell's literary style is marked by a rich, symbolic language that seeks to transcend the material and touch upon the profound truths of human existence and the cosmos. As a figure pivotal to the Celtic Revival, Russell left an indelible mark on Irish culture, both through his direct artistic output and his mentorship of other illustrious Irish writers, including James Joyce and W.B. Yeats.