Halil Nimetullah Öztürk and “Inkılabin Felsefesi” (Philosophy of the Revolution)

Abstract

In this study, evaluations are made about the book Inkilabın Felsefesi (Philosophy of theRevolution) by Halil Nimetullah Öztürk, a prominent thinker of the Republican period with positivis tand anti-Ottoman views. Mr. Halil Nimetullah, who came to the fore with his educator identity in theRepublican period, supported the reforms carried out in this period. He even attracted attention with his radical ideas as well as his support for the revolution. As a republican intellectual, he did not hesitate to defend the principles and requirements of the republic. In his works, he generally emphasized the change in the transition period from the Ottoman Empire to the Republican drew attention to the importance of national culture. Mr. Halil Nimetullah, who worked as a civil servant, teacher and lecturer at Darülfünûn (University) and worked in fields such as logic, philosophy, history and language, was published in 1928, a very important work called the Philosophy of Revolution. This work, which was published in Istanbul in Ikdam Printing House, contains various articles of the author published in different magazines. Inkilabin Felsefesi (The Philosophy of the Revolution), in which the articles published in Milli Mecmua, Vakit newspaper, Milliyet newspaper and Akşam newspaper were published in 1927, is one of the works of great importance in understanding the change and transformation of the early Republican period. While discussing the meaning and essence of the Turkish Revolution in the work, evaluations were made on subjects such as national identity, national culture, modernization, secularism, Turkish language and Turkish society.