A dissenting intellectual against the traditional Ottoman understanding of state and society: Tevfik Fikret

The 19th century was a period in which the Ottoman Empire experienced significant decline and deterioration in many areas, particularly in the state and society. This century represents a departure from the state and societal understanding of the glorious times known as the classical period (1300-1600). During this time, many Ottoman intellectuals could not remain silent in the face of the diminishing borders and the collapsing state, and sought solutions to the gravity of the situation, putting forward various ideas in this regard. One such intellectual was Tevfik Fikret. Although Tevfik Fikret was known primarily for his identity as a poet and artist, especially at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, we believe that his radical ideas opposing the traditional state and social order in which he lived have been overshadowed, leaving his thoughts as an unresolved question or an overlooked issue. In particular, his ideas have not been evaluated in the context of the traditional Ottoman state and societal understanding, to which he also belonged. As an intellectual, Tevfik Fikret opposed the old Ottoman world order, which was based on the absolute authority of the ruler and religion in all fields, and instead advocated a secular world order that sanctified reason, elevated the individual, and placed them at the forefront. He defined the sultanate as a symbol of the old regime and viewed the absolutist rule it was based on as an obstacle to freedom and a humane life. He opposed the high authority attributed to the ruler/dynasty and the belief that they were the providers of order in the name of God, a concept central to the traditional Ottoman state philosophy, which was rooted in agrarian societies and expressed in the "Circle of Justice" theorem. Instead, he advocated for a constitutional form of government that allowed for the limitation of the ruler's absolute and exalted authority, emphasizing a parliament that represented the nation. Fikret's vision of society was based on a system where equality prevailed, especially in political authority, and where there was no servitude to masters. He envisioned a world where everyone was free and able to make independent decisions. In his view, wars brought nothing but suffering and tears to humanity, and he believed that the salvation of his own homeland could only be achieved through the brotherhood of all nations. He symbolized this belief with the phrase "My homeland is the earth, my nation is humanity." He placed the Western world in a superior position, associating it with reason, enlightenment, progress, and development. According to him, education should be free from the traditional Ottoman approach, which was based on the unquestioned transmission of certain ideas accepted as absolute truths from above. Instead, education should be open to criticism, respectful of different ideas, and centered on reason and science. The aim should be to cultivate individuals who are "free in thought, free in conscience, and free in wisdom." Education should not be monopolized by elites or privileged groups but should be widespread throughout society, aiming to awaken a nation and lift it up as a whole by creating free individuals. In his view, societies that devalue women cannot become civilized. By stating, "If women are wretched, humanity falls," he emphasized the immense importance of women for humanity. In this study, Tevfik Fikret's contemporary alternative ideas to the traditional understanding of state and society in the classical period of the Ottoman Empire will be evaluated through the topics of authority, religion, homeland, nation, war, individual, the West, education and women.