The Construction of Personality in the Thought of Mehmet Akif Ersoy

Abstract

According to Akif, one of the most fundamental factors determining a person’s worth is living in an independent and sovereign state. If a sense of patriotism has grown stale and is on the verge of disappearing, that person’s honor and dignity are in jeopardy. Observing that many people who neglect their responsibilities—particularly in the realms of religion and values—have become the type of person described above, Akif expresses deep sorrow at this helpless situation. He notes that during the final period of the Ottoman Empire, people were in a state of profound emotional collapse and that significant effort must be expended to address this emotional numbness. In fact, this situation observed in the people of that era, as Akif also emphasized, is the prioritization of the material over the spiritual. Such a shift in focus led to people becoming alienated from themselves and ultimately resulted in the emergence of many individuals with spiritual problems. Akif believes that the indifference and brutality that emerged in the twentieth century can be resolved through compassion. Emphasizing the importance of a sense of responsibility and the spiritual dimension in the revival of compassion within humanity, Akif views the organization of social life as dependent on compassion. According to him, in a social life where compassion is widespread, people will find their own living spaces. It should not be forgotten that in Akif’s arrival at such a thought, religion and values—rather than his own personal convictions—are at the center. This article examines how Akif, through a personality shaped by a social, Creator-centered, worldly and otherworldly, and compassionate understanding of humanity—which is quite significant in his philosophy of life—confronts the West’s new arguments and constructs new solutions.