“International Conference on Post-Materialist and Holistic Science” was held with international participation
"International Post-Materialist and Holistic Science Conference" was organized on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of Bediüzzaman Said Nursi's death in cooperation with Üsküdar University Risale-i Nur Research Platform and the Conscious of Age Student Club. Speaking at the opening of the conference, where experts from many different countries of the world such as the USA, Germany, England, Nigeria and the Netherlands came together, the President of Üsküdar University, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that only natural sciences are not enough to serve the happiness of people. Tarhan stated that the increase in divorces and suicides in the world despite of the enrichment of people, however, the fact that their happiness does not increase in parallel with this reveals that "Ideal happiness does not only target the happiness of the world in which we lived, but also it targets the happiness of the two worlds. A philosophy that does not predict happiness after death is not the right philosophy.".
Bediüzzaman Said Nursi was commemorated on the 63rd anniversary of his death
The International Post-Materialist and Holistic Science Conference held at Üsküdar University Central Campus Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall started with Hafız Ahmet Kaya's recitation of the Holy Quran.
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "Bediuzzaman has written works that will combine religious sciences and natural sciences"
President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said in his opening speech titled "Why Holistic Science? that Bediüzzaman’s passion was to synthesize religion and science. Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that they commemorated Bediüzzaman on the anniversary of his death since Üsküdar University became operational and said that "The passion of Bediüzzaman was to make the synthesis of religion and science. When he was still young, he wanted to leave Van and came to Istanbul and met Sultan Abdulhamit. When Sultan Abdulhamit presented gold instead of evaluating Bediüzzaman offer to open a university in the east, Bediüzzaman refused to do so. In the works he wrote, he changed his strategy after the proclamation of the Republic. Previously, he clearly wanted to combine madrasah sciences and natural sciences, but after the Republic, he wanted to establish Darülfünun. However, he saw that the education system changed and religious education was removed from schools after the Republic. Upon this, he started to write works that would combine religious sciences and natural sciences.".
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "The meta cognitive gene is effective in human's search for meaning"
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, who stated that Bediüzzaman discovered the concepts of mana-ı harfî and mana-yi isimî, continued his remarks as follows:
“When we look at a flower and express its beauty, we evaluate it with the concept of mana-yi isimî. When we question its existence and by whom it was produced, the concept of mana-yı harfî comes into play. When we consider human being, we question its purpose. Is it just to eat, drink and reproduce like an animal? Human being is not a part of nature in the world, and human being is different. Therefore, there is a need for man's search for meaning and purpose. In the search for meaning and purpose, it also needs to find its creator. The only being who can ask the questions "Who created me, why am I here?" is human. Metacognition, that is, the metacognitive gene, is effective in man's search for meaning. There is also the gene related to the understanding of seeking innovation and the perception of time. The only being who can realize the past and the future is man. A human is also the only living being who can perceive death. The understanding of looking for innovation, one of these genes, has been proven. Especially hyperactive people have this gene. A feature of that gene is creativity. Those who add innovation to the world are the people who have this gene. In fact, everyone has that gene, but it is necessary to strive to activate it. Bediüzzaman probably had that gene as well.".
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "The human mind thinks mathematically"
Stating that what Bediüzzaman did during his lifetime complied with the holistic science understanding, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said, "When we investigated where the holistic science understanding was used in the world, we reached the Post Materialist Science Manifesto published in America thanks to Prof. İbrahim Özdemir. The Post Materialist Manifesto of Science means the integrity of the sciences. In particular, the magnitude of mathematics shows that the sciences are a whole. When science and religious sciences are together with mathematics, they become reasonable. The human mind thinks mathematically and it investigates the cause and effect relation. The marriage of logic and mathematics gave birth to the computer. Tureng, the first computer machine, combined the methods of mathematics and reasoning. When the science of the soul and psychology combined with mathematics, computational psychology emerged. From here, one will begin to find the mathematics of the spiritual sciences.".
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "The human mind thinks mathematically"
Stating that what Bediüzzaman did during his lifetime complied with the holistic science understanding, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said, "When we investigated where the holistic science understanding was used in the world, we reached the Post Materialist Science Manifesto published in America thanks to Prof. İbrahim Özdemir. The Post Materialist Manifesto of Science means the integrity of the sciences. In particular, the magnitude of mathematics shows that the sciences are a whole. When science and religious sciences are together with mathematics, they become reasonable. The human mind thinks mathematically and it investigates the cause and effect relation. The marriage of logic and mathematics gave birth to the computer. Tureng, the first computer machine, combined the methods of mathematics and reasoning. When the science of the soul and psychology combined with mathematics, computational psychology emerged. From here, one will begin to find the mathematics of the spiritual sciences.".
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "Natural sciences alone are not enough for human happiness"
Stating that only when religious sciences were taught by taking the words of Bediüzzaman, bigotry emerged, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said, "We saw this under the Taliban ruling. They do not even teach how electricity works in schools. They have an education system in that way. There are extremely main chronic experiences. They are living Islam from two hundred years ago today, and they are unable to comment on the new situations because they contradict each other. And, people run away. Bediuzzaman said that when only natural sciences were taught and spiritual sciences were not taught, deception and suspicion emerge. The fact that divorces and suicides are increasing in the world at the moment, that human beings are getting richer, but that their happiness does not increase in parallel with them, shows that only natural sciences are not enough to serve human happiness. Ideal happiness does not only target the happiness of the world in which we live but also it targets the happiness of the two worlds. A philosophy that does not predict happiness after death is not the right philosophy.".
Prof. Ahmet Akgündüz: "Bediüzzaman struggled with secular philosophy throughout his life"
Prof. Ahmet Akgündüz, Rector of the Islamic University of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, said in his speech titled " Positivism is Dying in Europe; People Seek Spirituality “that the most important target of secular philosophy and positivism is the Islamic world and Türkiye. Prof. Ahmet Akgündüz, stated that Bediüzzaman struggled against this insidious enemy throughout his life and said "Secular philosophy, which rejects spiritual values that see religion as opium, in other words positivism, has rejected religious values in the name of science, and since the beginning of the 20th century, it has unfortunately taken the world hostage to the whole world for a century under the name of communism or positivism or enlightenment.". Prof. Ahmet Akgündüz stated that Bediüzzaman argued that a society could never remain without religion and said that Bediüzzaman copyrighted the Risale-i Nur corpus to combat secular philosophy and that he was subjected to prison and exile sentences for 28 years for rejecting this philosophy.
Prof. Niyazi Beki: "When we read and understand the Book of the Universe, we will become a true believer"
Üsküdar University Institute of Sufi Studies Faculty Member and RINAP President Prof. Niyazi Beki said in his speech titled " The Holy Book Qur’an and the Book of the Universe" that "As far as we know science, we do not move away from religion as in other religions. On the contrary, religion becomes a serious attraction for us, it attracts us. Because there is truth at the center." Prof. Niyazi Beki noted that Bediuzzaman Said Nursi said that science is included in the Holy Qur'an.
Prof. Niyazi Beki, who stated that praying, fasting and not drinking alcohol are religious duties and obligations, said, "We have paid great attention to these commandments, we have tried to understand them. On the other hand, we have put aside the commandments to read the Book of the Universe, which is contained in many of these verses in the Qur'an. However, if this is an obligation, it is also an obligation. Reading and understanding the Book of the Universe is also a matter that is religious duty and obligatory for Muslims. Therefore, we will become true Muslims and believers when we fulfill this commandment. Otherwise, we will be deprived of dealing only with the slogans of worship as if we have received half of the religion and reading the book of faith that shows the greatness of Allah, which in fact introduces us to Allah in the true sense of the word.".
The first session titled "Holistic Science Approach" was held
Fatmanur Zehra Aras, President of the Conscience of the Age Student Club, talked about their work as a club in her speech titled "The Science that introduces the Creator". Aras said that as a club, they tried to understand Bediüzzaman more closely by reading Risale-i Nur books, which explain the principles of the Qur'an with examples within the framework of logical execution contrary to materialist belief.
Following the opening speeches, the session titled "Holistic Science Approach" was moderated by TÜBA Honorary Member, Retired Faculty Member, Üsküdar University Philosophy Department Prof. Alparslan Açıkgenç. Prof. Alparslan Açıkgenç attended the conference with his speech titled " What the Concept of Science in the Islamic Scientific Tradition Expresses in Today's Philosophy of Science ".
Online participation from the USA
Üsküdar University Board of Trustees Member, Prof. Yunus Çengel from the University of Nevada, USA, made a presentation titled "Life and Its Characteristics Based on Observations" in the online conference. Manisa Celal Bayar University Retired Faculty Member Prof. Bünyamin Duran also attended the conference with his speech titled "From Secular Society to Post-Secular/Postmaterialist Society: Jürgen Habermas" in online participation.
Prof. İbrahim Özdemir discussed the environmentalist perspective
Üsküdar University HSSF Dean, USA Worcester Clark University Visiting Professor Prof. İbrahim Özdemir attended the conference with his presentation titled "Post-Materialist Science and Its Promise for Environmental Awareness: Role of religious world views" and Üsküdar University Advisor to the Rector Prof. Sırrı Akbaba supported the conference with his speech titled "New Paradigm in Psychology". The first session ended with the speech of President of the German Science, Religion and Harmony Association Dr. Cemil Şahinöz titled "Multidisciplinary Science According to Bediüzzaman".
Can science and Islam be reconciled?
The second session titled "Post-Materialist Scientific Approach-1" was moderated by Prof. İbrahim Özdemir. Germany,Kazimieras Simonavicius Fellow at the Institute for Other Society, Vilnius, Germany, Lithuania; Prof. Harald Walach, Founding Director of the Institute for Health and Science of Change, gave a lecture titled “How Could a New Science of Consciousness Contribute to a Broadening of Science?" .
In the second session, Prof. Necati Aydın, Vice President of the Institute of Holistic Science, who attended the conference from the USA, made a presentation titled " Towards a Holistic Understanding of Science and Education with Harfî Approach". Prof. Colin Paul Turner, Director of the International Muslim Theological Foundation, who attended the conference from the UK, made a presentation titled "Can Science and Islam ever be reconciled? A Re-evaluation".
The third session was held with international participation
The conference ended with the third session titled "Post-Materialist Scientific Approach-2". In the last session moderated by Prof. İbrahim Özdemir, Prof. Marjorie Woollacott from the Institute of Neuroscience of the University of Oregon, who participated in the conference online from the USA, presented " Spiritual Awakenings and Their Transformational Effects in Scientists and Academics"; David Lorimer, Director of the Scientific and Medical Network from the UK, presented " Gnosis in a Future Science of Consciousness"; Dr. Vasileios Basios from Université Libre de Bruxelle from Belgium attended the conference with the speech entitled "Towards a Self-Reflective Science of the Origins".
In the last session, Prof. Athena Despoina Potari from Harvard University, USA, participated in the conference online with the speech titled "A Call for a Renaissance of the Spirit in the Humanities", Prof. Mohamed Bakari from the University of Nairobi, Kenya participated with the speech titled "On the Scientific Method" and Dr. Olaniyan Adeola Seleem, a graduate of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria participated with the speech titled " Positivism Is Self-Defeating: An Environmentalist Score-Sheet of Scientific and Technological Breakthroughs".
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)