Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "We are in an age of chaos of thoughts"

Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that "There is no intellectual birth without intellectual pain. Certainly, a discovery cannot emerge without mental rebellion and mental objection. The intellectual crisis of today's youth is usually in the form of existential questioning."

Prof. Tarhan expressed that "There is a conceptual chaos in young people. There are young people who are discussing especially deism, atheism and agnosticism."

President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan evaluated the issue of intellectual crisis (Deism, Atheism, Existential Problem) in young people.

"Intellectual inquiry is at the high school level..."

Stating that intellectual crisis occurs when individuals who question and think cannot easily adapt to the norms accepted by the society, Prof. Tarhan expressed that "Intellectuals question and analyze. The intellectual person digests and adds their own interpretation. We are in such an age. Right now, intellectual inquiry starts at the high school level."

Explaining that intellectual individuals analyze, and question information and they convey information by adding their own interpretations, Prof. Tarhan said that in this process, the questioning of intellectual individuals may cause them to encounter difficult and complex questions, which can sometimes lead to depression.

Intellectual pain is necessary for intellectual birth!

Prof. Tarhan stated that "If a person finds the truth, the intellectual crisis causes many things such as the emergence of new ideas, discovery, entrepreneurship and innovation in that person. There is no intellectual birth without intellectual pain. Certainly, there is no discovery without mental rebellion, without mental objection. Pain is what changes behavior."

Stating that the ability of young people to express their ideas freely and exchange ideas contributes to the development of society, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that "Many schools of psychology call youth a 'normal schizophrenic period'. I mean, it a period in which there are questioning and contradiction. This is beneficial for them in terms of getting to know life, ensuring development and change. When it is suppressed, young people are left behind in that society. Instead of suppressing, they need to be able to express themselves."

The intellectual crisis of the youth happens in the form of questioning of existence...

Prof. Tarhan said that "The intellectual crisis of today's youth is usually in the form of existential questioning," and continued his remarks as follows: "When we look at it, there is a conceptual chaos in young people. There are such young people who discuss especially deism, atheism and agnosticism. Deism says, 'God exists, but he does not interfere in life.' Atheism is the belief that God and religions do not exist. These things used to be seen among uneducated people in society, among people who did not know, 100 years ago. However, now these things are happening among people who question and read. In such cases, the answer is to explain with scientific reference, and it is necessary to answer. There is one thing that I have observed. A significant number of people who are deist, atheist, or agnostic are reactive. They are alienated from religion, and they people develop reactive atheism. We are in an age of chaos of thought."

"They see science as religion. However, science is not religion."

Stating that there is a movement that rejects the existence of the Creator, life after death, the understanding of religion and morality, and reduces life to the world, Prof. Tarhan expressed that "The understanding of value in people is reduced only to reason and nature. There is an approach that there is no understanding of value other than reason and nature. They see science as a religion. However, science is not a religion. Science is at a point of existence, but it is a journey. Science is a constant search for a new understanding, an understanding of truth. Religion has now entered the range of science. Religion is also within the range of science. Therefore, if we deal with this issue in a polarized manner, we will not find the truth. We need to act with information and data in search of truth. The most important guide to us here is the mind." Noting that there are 4,300 religions in the world, Prof. Tarhan stated that "Humanity needs religion, it needs to believe. People have a desire for eternity, a desire for immortality. If a person approaches with the methods of reasoning, one will find the truth. If it was just the life of the world, everything would be very meaningless."

It can be seen as boring and restrictive of freedom...

Pointing out that young people may see the traditional understanding of religion as boring and restrictive of freedom, Prof. Tarhan said that "They accept science as religion. In events such as football, music and social media, they accept it as if it is a ritual."

Noting that young people's need to be valued by the family and society, their desire for originality and their tendency to turn to anti-religion in case of not being accepted, Prof. Tarhan stated that "The biggest psychological need of young people is to be valued. It is the need to be authentic and understanding. When these are not met, they turn to the full value of the family and the things that the society cares about."

"If purity is maintained, young people will not be alienated from religion..."

Stating that the main goal of religion is to gain divine consent and that this purity should be preserved, Prof. Tarhan expressed that "Religious people should not commercialize religion, they should not politicize it. In fact, they should not secularize religion. When we say not to secularize, we should not even use it for the world. The main goal of religion is to gain divine consent. When this purity is maintained, young people are less likely to become individuals who are frightened and alienated by religion. We can tell the truth not by scaring young people, but by persuading and convincing them."

"There is nothing irrational in religion"

Noting that there is nothing contrary to reason in religion, Prof. Tarhan said that "People have a very wrong idea of God in their minds."

Stating that with the increase in secularist tendencies at the global level, the view that world life has importance including everything has risen, Prof. Tarhan said that Atheism and Deism are also a belief, and religions can cause everything that is not questioned to be sacred. Stating that the Qur'an is reasonable, Prof. Tarhan said that "First of all, people need to eliminate the questions about the existence of God in their minds. After resolving it, man needs morality. There is a search for meaning. Because morality is not genetic in humans. It is found out later. We do not have a gene in our genes about being moral. However, it has a biological counterpart in the brain."

Verifiability is not enough, and falsifiability is also required...

Prof. Tarhan said that "It is necessary to ask whether there is a reactive anti-religion, reactive atheism and deism in young people. It is necessary to think about whether you are a person who has been alienated and intimidated from religion or not. To be an atheist, one must prove that there is no God. It cannot be proven that there is no God. Because verifiability is not enough, and falsifiability is also required. In the thesis developed about the methods of reasoning, verifiability was always called before. Now it must be proven that there is no falsifiability.”,

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)