Revolutionary And Conservative:the Psychobiography Study Of Hong Xiuquan’s Contradictory Political Personality

As one of the main research object of Political Psychology, Political Personality has attracted the attention of scholars from all walks of life all the time. Political Personalities are series of mental characteristics which developed gradually under the dual effects of genetic and environment, the internal power system of external political behavior is composed by these characteristics which also influence or decide people’s political choice and the trend of behavior. The case study that contain leaders or heroes who usually promote or hinder the development of society at that time is the main form in most of political personality research. this study select Hong Xiuquan as the research object who as a.peasant uprising leader had brought enormous influences to the late Qing dynasty and the modern society. as one of the main leaders of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement, Hong Xiuquan’s political behavior not only exhibited a progressive trait under the new society situation, but also showed a conservatism trait which common in the traditional peasant uprising leaders at the same time, this paradoxical political personality which revolutionary and conservative both have is bound to have a significant influence to the whole Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement.First, on the basis of Personality Adjective scale and the investigation result with Delphi method from 15 doctoral students in modern history, this study applies the method of psychobiography which combining quality and quantity verified the contradiction of Hong Xiuquan political personality characteristics, then analysis his influence on the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement caused by his contradiction political personality. Finally, use the method of psychobiography and historical materials, find out the psychological motive and external influencing factors of his contradiction personality.the research results show :(1) Hong Xiuquan’s paradoxical political personality contains both revolutionary and conservative, revolutionary mainly exhibited as progressive, rebellious, emulative and conservative showed as superstitious, corrupt, luxurious. His revolutionary political personality promoted the success of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement while Conservative political personality leaded to the failure of it.(2) Hong Xiuquan’s contradiction of religious belief in the early time is a kind of self-adjustment to reduce the individual anxiety in fact.He later religious choice is in order to meet the requirements of rule. the contradictions in women’s policy, regime construction and style of life mainly because of his lack of physiological needs,security needs and respect needs, his excessively pursuit for these needs lead to his paradoxical personality that consist of revolutionary and conservative.(3) The external influencing factors of Hong Xiuquan’s paradoxical political personality mainly contains intergenerational, family, important person and circumstances.