Drama, Inner Creation, and Role-Taking (Empathy): II. Leadership, Historiography, and Winston Churchill

Abstract

This paper, the second in a series, suggests (a) that there is a Rorschachian inner creation side to both leadership and historiography, (b) that the former is illustrated by the Hofferian mass movement leader, and the latter by the “geisteswissenschaftliche,” “literary intellectual” approach to history, and (c) that such a leader will be such a historian. Winston Churchill is one of Hoffer's mass movement leaders. That he is also such a historian is supported by the testimonies of Isaiah Berlin, Denis Brogan, and J. H. Plumb. Their testimonies combined with those of Alan Brooke and B. H. Liddell Hart warrant concluding that as historian and as World War II military leader, Churchill may be fairly described as long on Rorschachian inner creation and short on Rorschachian rationality.