An Evaluation of Osman Nuri Ergin’s Criticism of the Religious Education Policies of the Committee of Union and Progress

Fatih İpek

Makale detayları

An Evaluation of Osman Nuri Ergin’s Criticism of the Religious Education Policies of the Committee of Union and Progress

Yazarlar:

Fatih İpek

Yayıncı:

Necmettin Erbakan University

Ana Başlıklar:

Din Eğitimi | Dini Araştırmalar (Diğer)

Dergi:

Akif Vol.55 Issue 1, pp.52-70

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001343882

pISSN:

2791-6065

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 This study aims to clarify the extent to which Osman Nuri Ergins criticisms of the Committee of Union and Progresss religious education policies align with historical facts and pedagogical principles. Adopting a qualitative methodology and employing a historical case study design, this research was conducted through the document analysis method. It analyses several works of Ergin on educational history, with a particular emphasis on Maarif Tarihi. The analysis focuses on Ergins criticisms through the themes such as the language of instruction, foreign language education, the reform of madrasas, Westernization, secularism, and religious education at the primary and higher education. The findings suggest that Ergin approached the issue of reform initiatives in religious education, including those during the CUP period and the late Ottoman Empire, from a perspective that may be described as linear-historical or evolutionist. Furthermore, he appears to have framed these reforms within broader processes such as secularization and Westernization. It is also observed that Ergin associated topics not directly related to religious educationsuch as elementary schooling and learning Western languages as foreign languageswith the religious nature of education at the time. Based on these observations, it can be inferred that Ergins reflects an underlying effort to legitimize the restrictive policies on formal and informal religious instruction in the early Republican period. Moreover, it may be argued that Ergins critiques of the CUP governments and intellectuals on issues such as madrasa reform, Westernization, and secularism exhibit a certain degree of anachronism, due to his failure to account for contextual differences across historical periods. Some of his claims are found to be inconsistent with historical realities, and the overall argumentative clarity of his criticisms remains limited.

 This study aims to clarify the extent to which Osman Nuri Ergins criticisms of the Committee of Union and Progresss religious education policies align with historical facts and pedagogical principles. Adopting a qualitative methodology and employing a historical case study design, this research was conducted through the document analysis method. It analyses several works of Ergin on educational history, with a particular emphasis on Maarif Tarihi. The analysis focuses on Ergins criticisms through the themes such as the language of instruction, foreign language education, the reform of madrasas, Westernization, secularism, and religious education at the primary and higher education. The findings suggest that Ergin approached the issue of reform initiatives in religious education, including those during the CUP period and the late Ottoman Empire, from a perspective that may be described as linear-historical or evolutionist. Furthermore, he appears to have framed these reforms within broader processes such as secularization and Westernization. It is also observed that Ergin associated topics not directly related to religious educationsuch as elementary schooling and learning Western languages as foreign languageswith the religious nature of education at the time. Based on these observations, it can be inferred that Ergins reflects an underlying effort to legitimize the restrictive policies on formal and informal religious instruction in the early Republican period. Moreover, it may be argued that Ergins critiques of the CUP governments and intellectuals on issues such as madrasa reform, Westernization, and secularism exhibit a certain degree of anachronism, due to his failure to account for contextual differences across historical periods. Some of his claims are found to be inconsistent with historical realities, and the overall argumentative clarity of his criticisms remains limited.

 This study aims to clarify the extent to which Osman Nuri Ergins criticisms of the Committee of Union and Progresss religious education policies align with historical facts and pedagogical principles. Adopting a qualitative methodology and employing a historical case study design, this research was conducted through the document analysis method. It analyses several works of Ergin on educational history, with a particular emphasis on Maarif Tarihi. The analysis focuses on Ergins criticisms through the themes such as the language of instruction, foreign language education, the reform of madrasas, Westernization, secularism, and religious education at the primary and higher education. The findings suggest that Ergin approached the issue of reform initiatives in religious education, including those during the CUP period and the late Ottoman Empire, from a perspective that may be described as linear-historical or evolutionist. Furthermore, he appears to have framed these reforms within broader processes such as secularization and Westernization. It is also observed that Ergin associated topics not directly related to religious educationsuch as elementary schooling and learning Western languages as foreign languageswith the religious nature of education at the time. Based on these observations, it can be inferred that Ergins reflects an underlying effort to legitimize the restrictive policies on formal and informal religious instruction in the early Republican period. Moreover, it may be argued that Ergins critiques of the CUP governments and intellectuals on issues such as madrasa reform, Westernization, and secularism exhibit a certain degree of anachronism, due to his failure to account for contextual differences across historical periods. Some of his claims are found to be inconsistent with historical realities, and the overall argumentative clarity of his criticisms remains limited.

 Bu çalışma Osman Nuri Erginin İTCnin din eğitimi politikalarına yaptığı eleştirilerin tarihsel gerçeklere ve pedagojik esaslara ne kadar uygun olduğunu netleştirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Nitel bir yaklaşımla tarihi durum çalışması desenine uygun yürütülen çalışmada doküman analiz yöntemi ile başta Erginin Maarif Tarihi olmak üzere çeşitli eğitim tarihi eserleri incelenmiştir. Çalışmada Öğretim dili, yabancı dil, medreselerin ıslahı, batılılaşma, laiklik, temel ve yükseköğretimde din eğitimi gibi temalar üzerinden Erginin İTCnin din eğitimi politikalarına yaptığı eleştiriler ele alınmıştır. Bulgular, Erginin din eğitimi alanındaki reform girişimlerinde Cumhuriyet dönemi ile İTC de dâhil olmak üzere Osmanlı son dönem reformlarını mukayese ederken meseleleri doğrusal tarihtekâmüliyet denebilecek bir yaklaşımla ele aldığını, laiklik ve Batılılaşma gibi süreçlere indirgediğini göstermektedir. Erginin doğrudan din öğretimi ile ilgili olmayan ilk mekteplerde öğrenim ve yabancı dil olarak Batı dillerinin öğrenilmesi meselelerini de o günkü eğitimin dinî karakterli bir eğitim olmasına bağladığı görülmektedir. Bütün bunlardan hareketle Erginin Cumhuriyetin ilk dönemlerinde örgün ve yaygın din öğretimini kısıtlayıcı girişimlerinin haklılığını ispatlama çabasında olduğu izlenimi doğmaktadır. Medreselerin ıslahı, Batılılaşma ve laiklik gibi meselelerde İTC hükümetlerine ve aydınlarına yaptığı eleştirilerde dönemsel farklılıkları göz ardı ettiğinden dolayı Erginin bir çeşit anakronizme düştüğü söylenebilir. Bunun yanında onun eleştirilerinde bazı iddialarının tarihsel gerçekliklerle uyuşmadığı, bazılarında ise kastının net olmadığı, açıklamalarının muğlaklıklar içerdiği görülmektedir.

Makale detayları

An Evaluation of Osman Nuri Ergin’s Criticism of the Religious Education Policies of the Committee of Union and Progress

Yazarlar:

Fatih İpek

Yayıncı:

Necmettin Erbakan University

Ana Başlıklar:

Din Eğitimi | Dini Araştırmalar (Diğer)

Dergi:

Akif Vol.55 Issue 1, pp.52-70

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001343882

pISSN:

2791-6065

Religious Education

Osman Nuri Ergin

Committee of Union and Progress

History of Education

History of Religious EducationDin Eğitimi

Osman Nuri Ergin

İttihat ve Terakki Cemiyeti

Eğitim Tarihi

Din Öğretimi Tarihi

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Fatih İpek

Yayıncı: Necmettin Erbakan University

Ana Başlıklar: Din Eğitimi | Dini Araştırmalar (Diğer)

Dergi: Akif Vol.55 Issue 1, pp.52-70

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 6/2025

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001343882

pISSN: 2791-6065

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Fatih İpek

Yayıncı:

Necmettin Erbakan University

Ana Başlıklar:

Din Eğitimi | Dini Araştırmalar (Diğer)

Dergi:

Akif Vol.55 Issue 1, pp.52-70

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001343882

pISSN:

2791-6065