The function of philosophy in Abdullah Necati Akder

Abdullah Necati Akder, known as much for his academic identity as for his original stance on intellectual life and social issues, left an important mark on Turkish intellectual life during the Republican era. This study examines the intellectual orientation of Abdullah Necati Akder, who occupied a unique place in Turkish intellectual life during the Republican era. Akder, who served for many years in academic and bureaucratic fields, focused particularly on fundamental concepts such as nation, morality, civilization, values, culture, army, ideology, and religion. He primarily shared his ideas with the public through articles. Although he did not publish an independent book, his writings in various journals and institutional publications carry significant traces in the history of Turkish thought. One of the most prominent aspects of Abdullah Necati Akder's intellectual endeavors is his intellectual attachment to Ziya Gökalp and his loyalty to Gökalp's systematic approach. Throughout his life, he worked to explain, interpret, and bring Gökalp's views back into the spotlight, interpreting his conceptualizations of culture, civilization, education, and ideology and relating them to contemporary issues. In this sense, Akder reworked Ziya Gökalp's ideas in the social and cultural conditions of his time. Therefore, Akder is a thinker who establishes connections between the past, the future, and the present and provides guidance. Akder's writings reveal his clear stance against ideological shifts that threaten the unity and integrity of the nation. In particular, he has taken a stance that preserves cultural continuity and national identity against extremism, polarization, and alienating ideological tendencies. In this sense, he has aimed to give the society an intellectual and moral direction through institutions such as Halkevleri and Türk Ocakları. This thesis examines the function Abdullah Necati Akder assigned to philosophy, revealing his thought structure, his relationship with concepts, and his contribution to the Turkish tradition of thought. Akder viewed thinking as a patriotic duty and the production of ideas as a manifestation of responsibility to the nation.