Philosophy of Science and Radical Intellectual Islam in Turkey

Abstract

Teaching philosophy of science is not merely a self-subsistent epistemological activity, but at the same time a political one. At least, this is what I am going to argue. As I see it, the intertwining of epistemological and political dimensions in philosophy of science is contingent, not logical. That is, I believe that while it is not possible to derive political views from epistemological assumptions logically, it is nevertheless often the case that the two get allied in interesting ways in different contexts. This is particularly conspicuous in the case of Turkey due to historical reasons and is closely related to Islamists’ changing attitudes toward the process of Westernization. In section 2, I briefly describe the historical context of Westernization from the mid-nineteenth century Ottoman Empire to the formation of Turkish Republic.

Every culture, every nation can build a science that fits its own particular needs Paul Feyerabend (1991)

Part of the research for this research paper was done at the Center for Philosophy of Science, Pittsburgh University. I am grateful to its director Gerald Massey for his invitation and continuous support. I also acknowledege the financial support of Boğaziçi University Foundation. Bill Cobern’s encouragement was essential for this project. My warmest thanks to him.