Ulakbilge - Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi
www.ulakbilge.com
Cilt 5, Sayı 10  2017/2  (ISSN: 2148-0451, E-ISSN: )
Mert Can ERDOĞAN

NO Makale Adı
1489086906 THE PLACE OF RATIONAL THOUGHT AND CONSULTATION IN THE OTTOMAN THOUGHT

The basic principles of the governmentality is one of most prominent topics of the Ottoman political writers. Because of the continuing growth and empowerment of the central bureaucracy, the principles which represent the professional values of the bureaucrats have found a place in the nasihatname writings. Per nasihatname writers, the Empire should have been governed in accordance with the suggestions of the educated and wise advisors. In this regard, the concepts of wisdom, which have deep roots in the Turkish government tradition and political Islamic thought, had been re-evaluated and presented as the key of the success in the political texts of the Ottomans. This approach gained an institutional base in the Tanzimat period, and the Empire started to be ruled by the councils of the professional technocrats. In this context the central role of the bureaucrats constitutes the bridges between the traditional Ottoman reformist thought and Tanzimat movement which was influenced by the international rivalry. In this way, the tradition of consultation which has deep roots in the Ottoman political thought played an important role in the 19th century transformation of the Empire.

Key Words: Consultation, Nasihatname, Ottoman Thought, Rational Thought