There is a lack of knowledge along with perplexity about conservatism as a political way or an ideology in political and intellectual circles in Turkey. In general, the term conservatism is being used to blame someone for being backward-looking or to refer reactionary actions. Furthermore, some Islamic persons have recently been using conservatism to save themselves of being blamed as “Islamists”. The Conservative Thought aims to shed light on the confusion about conservatism, to expand the knowledge about conservatism, to fulfill the needs of Turkish literature on conservatism, and to encourage academic works about conservatism by publishing novel views and critical articles about conservatism. For these purposes, the original writings and the translations about conservatism are published in this journal. Although this publication intends to construct a body of theoretical works about conservatism in Turkish, the articles that deal with the current politics in the World are also covered in the journal—given that they are related to conservatism. Moreover, The Conservative Thought also aims to include studies on the history and the present of conservative thought in Turkey and to look for a conservative alternative in Turkish politics by examining the key ideas of conservatism in the Western World.

The Conservative Thought, published by Kadim Press in Ankara, is an independent scientific journal which does not have any direct or indirect association with a political or governmental organization.

CIVILIZATION

Year: 6, Issue: 21-22, Summer-Fall 2009

THE ABSTRACTS of LAST ISSUE

THE TRANSFORMATION OF WESTERN COSMOPOLITANISM FROM EVANGELIZING TO CIVILIZING

Bedri Gencer

The subject of this paper is the way in which cosmopolitanism was transformed in the West in relation to intra-religious and extra-religious identities in the process of secularization. Tracing the transformation of Western cosmopolitanism is preceded by an overview of the way of the rise of the cosmopolitan ideal. Because of the protracted crisis of Christianity, religion as the norm of identity eventually turned into civilization through the process of secularization that started with the Renaissance in the West. In parallel to this transformation, civilization was also subjected to a distinction for identification through otherization. The traditional distinction of “right/wrong religions” was transformed into “Western/Eastern civilizations” thanks to Orientalism as the discipline of civilizational otherization. In parallel to this civilizationally-based, external otherization by Orientalism, the traditional intra-Christian otherization underwent subtle alteration as well. The transformation of the traditional sectarian division between Catholicism and Protestantism to that of civilization/culture in the process of secularization critically influenced the ways of European otherization and identification toward cosmopolis. In the aftermath of the French Revolution, Napoleon, who championed the cause of secularized Western cosmopolitanism, embarked on a civilizing mission instead of a traditional Catholic evangelizing mission toward cosmopolis. This erratic process could be summarized with the concepts of city (the land of peace through religion)® civility (as decorum)® civility (as mannerism)® civilization (as process)® civilization (as norm)® orientalizing (as Manichean otherization)® civilizing (as secular evangelizing).

Keywords: Cosmopolitanism, Religion, Transformation, Orientalism, Civilizing

CIVILIZATION AND ŞİNASİ AS ACCULTURATION

Bedri Mermutlu

       The Western world entered into a determined struggle of existence beginning from the 16^th century; it laid down its cultural foundations during the 17^th and 18^th centuries; and it started its own age virtually with the industrial revolution. By the beginning of the 19^th century, the world had been divided into two worlds of civilization, as the East and the West. A new troubled period started for the non-western world. In that world, a major dislocation of established institutions took place. Tanzimat movement was also a civilization movement in the Ottoman Society. It was a period of new formation in which the two civilizations confronted each other directly. The principal issue that was tackled by almost all of the intellectuals of that period, primarily Şinasi, was the question what attitude and actions the Ottomans should take against the Western civilization. Choosing a civilization was not an abstract and extra-communal ideal but an issue that interested the living values of the community. The right of existence of the traditional culture against the new civilization was the most critical problem confronting these intellectuals. The thoughts of Şinasi, who was a radical western civilizationist, casts light on the Orientalist front of the East-West relationship.

Keywords: Civilization, Tanzimat, Şinasi, Acculturation, Orientalism

THE PLACE OF BLUE ANATOLİANİSM MOVEMENT İN CİVİLİZATİON DEBATE

Mahmut ŞENOL

One of the projects of nationalism which was launched in the early days of the Turkish Republic is Blue Anatolialism. Blue Anatolianism has its roots in the mythological stories of the Ancient Greek era on Anatolia. It strives for nation-building based on the notion of citizenship/compatriotism found in those ancient civilizations that existed in the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Anatolia. This citizenship is considered to be a part of a long historical and cultural process of humanism, and the Blue Anatolianism movement proposes connecting this citizenship with Anatolian Turkishness. The movement required a high level of intellectual awareness and scholarship about the depths of history, and never became widely popular at the popular level. Nonetheless, it succeeded to make a contribution to the Turkish Renaissance.

The main goal of this article is to introduce Blue Anatolianism under a different light. The movement started as a pastoral and naturist ideology but idolization of Mother Nature was halted abruptly for some political reasons. This can be explained by the new social dynamics in Turkey in the 1960s and the death of its founders. The “Blue” fraction doesn’t have any followers today because it was inherently an inner circle movement. My thesis for Blue Anatolianism is that this was a kind of a Batini/Esoteric cult and that it is still important in the politic literature.

Keywords: Blue Anatolianism, Cultural Kemalism, Halikarnas Balıkçısı, Mythology, Nationalism, Elitism.

SOME REFLECTIONS ON EŞREF EDIB FERGAN and HIS ARTICLE “TURKEY AND EUROPE”

Adem EFE

Eşref Edib Fergan (1882-1971) is one of the leading publisher and producers in Turkish intellectual history. Eşref Edib was a member of the Islamist movement which developed during the era of Second Constitution. He devetod his intellectual life to the publications that fight against the ideas of the Westernization movement. In the article that is being reviewed in this study, Eşref Edib argues that the late-Ottoman Empire was declining and there was an urge to stop it by the help of scholars, scientists and bureaucrats. He criticized the periods of Tanzimat and Islahat during which Westernization policies sought to eliminate the religion and religious ideas from society, which were assumed to be the cause of the Ottoman decline. Throughout the article, he tirelessly seeks to explain the misleading ideological underpinnings of these Westernization movements.

Keywords: Eşref Edib Fergan, Westernization, Islamism, Turkey and Europe.

CIVILIZATION AND MODERNIZATION IN TURKEY

Yılmaz ÇOLAK

 This study seeks to examine the relationship between Ottoman-Turkish modernization and civilization. Ottoman-Turkish modernization experience is analyzed within the frame of the development of the conceptions of civilization in the West. Nowadays there are two dominant notions of civilization; first, competing and clashing civilizations: second, single and universal civilization representing the most developed category. Discussions turning around these notions of civilization have great impact on Turkish political and intellectual life. The reason is that both notions, competing civilizations and single universal civilization, have played a decisive role in Turkish modernization.

Keywords: Civilization, Ottoman Modernization, Turkish Modernization

AN ANALYSIS FOR THESIS OF CONFLICT OF CIVILIZATIONS AND TURKEY’S CONTRIBUTION TO CROSS-CULTURAL DIALOGUE

Mevlüt UYANİK

This study discusses the perceptions on East-West divide and the widespread thesis on cross-cultural war and the end of history. It also looks at the project of alliance of civilizations, developed to avoid this ‘inevitable clash.’ The study will highlight the need for engaging in a process of mutual understanding and dialogue in order to solve the problems posed by the clash of civilizations thesis, as well as highlighting the wrong assumptions, interpretations and prejudices the thesis of clash of civilizations is based on. After that, the study will discuss whether Turkey and Spain as the initiators of the UN Project of Alliance of Civilizations may successfully promote this initiative. Turkey’s geopolitical and cultural status as an actor of harmony and agreement of civilizations will be emphasized, with reference to how Turkey could use its historical heritage as an advantage to promote this project. Finally, the study will emphasize the need for peaceful co-existence for civilizations and cultures as the most effective tool to minimize the risks of a conflict between civilizations.

Key Words: Alliance of Civilizations, Turkey, Political and Economic Actor, Conflict, Inter-civilizational dialogue