Publication: II. Meşrutiyet'te terakki fikri
Abstract
Bu araştırmanın amacı, Tanzimat’la başlayıp özellikle II. Meşrutiyet döneminde (1908-1918) Batı felesefesinin temel kavramlarından progrés’nin “terakki” olarak tercüme edilip, kavramsallaşması, bir tarih tasavvuruna dönüşmesini ele almaktır. II. Meşrutiyet devri Osmanlı münevverlerinin terakki dediğinde ne anladığı, kavrama yükledikleri, mânâların arka planı bu tezin ele aldığı temel meseledir. Çalışma, II. Meşrutiyet devri Osmanlı düşünürlerinin “terakki” fikri ve tartışmaları etrafında kaleme aldıkları metinler esas alınarak hazırlanmıştır. “Terakki” fikri “tekâmül” fikriyle de örtüşen bir anlam dünyasına sahip olarak içtimaî hayatta tedricî bir yenilenmeyi ifade etmiştir. Bu değişimin dışarıdan müdahalelerden bağımsız, devrimle değil, cemiyetin bizzat kendi ihtiyaçları ve değişen şartlara uyum gösterme çabaları neticesinde olacağına inanılmıştır. Meşrutiyet devri münevverlerinin tamamına yakını için terakki fikri Batı karşısında yaşanan askerî-siyasî-iktisadî mağlubiyetlerden kurtulmanın bir yolu olarak anlaşılmıştır. Müslümanların geri kaldığı, Batı’nın ilerlediği inancının bir neticesi olarak, XVIII. yüzyıldan itibaren Batı’da emperyalizmin bir aracı haline gelen ve bir dünya tasavvuru olan “progrés / ilerleme” kavramı son dönem Türk düşünce dünyasında da terakki ideali haline gelmiştir. Fransız Aydınlanması, Pozitivizm ve Sosyal Darwinizm’in şekillendirdiği bu kavram son dönem Türk düşüncesine Tanzimat’ın ilanı sonrası girmiş, Meşrutiyet yıllarında hemen hemen her meselenin irtibatlandırıldığı bir fikir haline gelmiştir. Bu nedenle terakki kavramının tarihi aynı zamanda Osmanlı modernleşmesinin tarihidir. Çalışmada “terakki” kavramının müradifi gibi kullanılan tekâmülle irtibatları ele alınmıştır. Zıttı olan tereddi / gerilemeyle mukayesesi yapılmıştır. İnsanlık tarihinin yorumlanmasında da başvurulan kavram, vahşilik ve medeniyet bağlamında ele alınmıştır. Medeniyet basamaklarında terakkinin kıstasları olarak refah, saadet, pozitif ilimler ve sanayi olan irtibatlarına dikkat çekilmiştir. Nihayet Oryantalistlerin “İslâm mani-i terakkidir” iddiasının boyutları ve Meşrutiyet aydınlarının buna verdikleri cevap olarak “İslâm değil müslümanlar terakkiye manidir” fikri işlenmiştir.
The purpose of this study is to discuss the process, in which progress as one among the basic concepts of Western philosophy was translated and conceptualized as progress (terakki) and gradually became a vision of the world and history. This process started with the Tanzimat Era, prevailed during the Second Constitutional Era (1908-1918). This study, entitled as “The Idea of Progress During the Second Constitutional Era”, is prepared on the basis of texts, which were written by the Ottoman thinkers during the Second Constitutional Era around the issue of development and related discussions. In this period, the idea of “progress” expressed a gradual renaissance in social life from simple to complex, having a world of meaning that corresponds to the idea of “evolution” (tekâmül). By almost all of the intellectuals of the Constitutional Era, the idea of development was regarded as a way to get rid of the military-political-economic defeats against the West. As a result of the belief that Muslims fell behind while the West was developing, the concept of progress, which became a tool of imperialism and a vision of world with the second half of the 18th century, also became the ideal of development in the world of Turkish thought in the last period. This concept, which was shaped by the French Revolution, Positivism and Social Darwinism, entered Turkish thought after the declaration of Tanzimat and became an idea which almost all issues are associated with during the Constitutional Era. Thus, the history of the concept of progress is at the same time the history of the Ottoman modernization. In this study, the relation between the idea of progress (terakki) and evolution (tekâmül), which is used as its synonym, is discussed. In addition, it is compared with its antonym decadence/ decline, that is the idea of regression. The concept, which is also used in the interpretation of human history, is discussed in the context of barbarism and civilization. We draw the attention to its relations with welfare, happiness, positive sciences and industry as the criteria of progress in the phases of civilization. Finally, the dimensions of the Orientalist claim that “Islam is an obstacle to progress” and the answer of the Constitutional Era intellectuals saying “not Islam but Muslims are obstacles to progress” are discussed.
The purpose of this study is to discuss the process, in which progress as one among the basic concepts of Western philosophy was translated and conceptualized as progress (terakki) and gradually became a vision of the world and history. This process started with the Tanzimat Era, prevailed during the Second Constitutional Era (1908-1918). This study, entitled as “The Idea of Progress During the Second Constitutional Era”, is prepared on the basis of texts, which were written by the Ottoman thinkers during the Second Constitutional Era around the issue of development and related discussions. In this period, the idea of “progress” expressed a gradual renaissance in social life from simple to complex, having a world of meaning that corresponds to the idea of “evolution” (tekâmül). By almost all of the intellectuals of the Constitutional Era, the idea of development was regarded as a way to get rid of the military-political-economic defeats against the West. As a result of the belief that Muslims fell behind while the West was developing, the concept of progress, which became a tool of imperialism and a vision of world with the second half of the 18th century, also became the ideal of development in the world of Turkish thought in the last period. This concept, which was shaped by the French Revolution, Positivism and Social Darwinism, entered Turkish thought after the declaration of Tanzimat and became an idea which almost all issues are associated with during the Constitutional Era. Thus, the history of the concept of progress is at the same time the history of the Ottoman modernization. In this study, the relation between the idea of progress (terakki) and evolution (tekâmül), which is used as its synonym, is discussed. In addition, it is compared with its antonym decadence/ decline, that is the idea of regression. The concept, which is also used in the interpretation of human history, is discussed in the context of barbarism and civilization. We draw the attention to its relations with welfare, happiness, positive sciences and industry as the criteria of progress in the phases of civilization. Finally, the dimensions of the Orientalist claim that “Islam is an obstacle to progress” and the answer of the Constitutional Era intellectuals saying “not Islam but Muslims are obstacles to progress” are discussed.