Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar Üniversitesi, participated as a speaker in the ‘ÖĞ-DER 8th Training Camp’ program, traditionally organized by the Conscious Teachers Association (ÖĞ-DER). Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, who attended the training camp held face-to-face at the Nevşehir-Kozaklı DİVAİSİB hotel online via the Zoom application, made evaluations on ‘The Impact of Morality on Education and Success’. Tarhan, stating that moral and spiritual values lead to success in both worlds, said; “Thinking in terms of abstract values is what an average person should do. Right now, even this has weakened. Materialism has become a global ideology. Chasing profit has become the biggest goal. The danger awaiting us in an age of pleasure and speed is not political dangers. They are things that completely destroy both worlds. A smart person is one who invests in the afterlife as well. We cannot call someone who only thinks about worldly matters smart.”
“Classical methodology does not work”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, drawing attention to the methods used in bringing moral and spiritual values to society, said; “In 2015, Harvard University introduced Positive Psychology as a course. If you look at the course content, there is education on compassion, helpfulness, reconciliation, gratitude, and thankfulness. These are taught with modules. Compassion is taught; these are what it teaches. In 2015, Harvard University added this course to its curriculum. In 2018, Yale University, and in 2019, Bristol University in England added it. Bristol University has a headline on the internet that reads: ‘The Science of Happiness Against This Suicide Epidemic.’ Yale University also opened its Positive Psychology course, ‘The Science of Well-being,’ to the public in March 2021. When 3.5 million people registered in a short period, The New York Times made this a visible news story online. When I noticed this, I had already done my book work around 2012. Around the same time, we were the first in Turkey to mention the Positive Psychology book. We currently have a textbook in progress for it. The editor is almost finished with it now. All these efforts are solely to teach children moral and spiritual values with a scientific methodology. Classical methodology does not work. If you give an intravenously administered drug orally, it will be wasted. It needs to be given intravenously. Likewise, it needs to be given with the right methods, in the right dose, and in the right way.”
“The negative consequences of moral deprivation are visible globally”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, explaining the reasons for moral decay in people with examples, said; “Currently, there is a serious void regarding moral and spiritual values globally. Western civilization is in crisis. The reason for the crisis is the presence of hedonistic morality there. Their acceptance of pleasure-seeking morality as a life philosophy. Making the pursuit of pleasure in life an ego ideal for people. Hedonistic morality presents 'the purpose of life is to pursue pleasure.' It says pursuing meaning is unnecessary. Even some famous psychiatrists like Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre advocate for futurism. They create anarchistic doctrines in such situations, saying, 'Struggling against meaning or the search for meaning is a meaning itself; I am fighting for meaninglessness.' For example, Nietzsche, one of the famous Western philosophers, says, 'humility increases operating costs.' He ridicules charity, alms, and Eastern culture. These become theorists of capitalism who say, 'The culture of alms increases operating costs, what does helping mean, let the strong survive, let the weak die.' As a result, its negative consequences began to appear. In other words, the negative consequences of moral deprivation are visible globally. They are also visible in Turkey. Why are these acts of violence increasing? Why is domestic violence increasing? For example, why is violence in healthcare increasing? The strongest laws have been passed. They have been doubled. Even punishments contrary to the fundamental principles of criminal law are being given, but violence in healthcare still has not decreased. It's like this in all matters. There is Law 6284. There are articles there that challenge criminal law regarding violence against women. There are articles that state the woman's statement is sufficient. People started to be arrested immediately with the slightest suspicion. Despite this, we saw that it still did not decrease. This means they are palliative measures. In other words, they are dressing measures. You cannot treat a wound with a dressing. Deeper surgical interventions are needed to treat the wound. That surgical intervention requires teaching moral and spiritual values to people, to new generations.”
“If we do not understand the language of the youth, we cannot teach them these moral and spiritual values”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, emphasizing the importance of the Generation Z's adopted life philosophy in communication, said; “Turkey’s education system is concerned with producing smart and successful people. It is not concerned with producing good people. We train smart and successful computer engineers, and they become hackers. We train good and successful chemical engineers. Smart and successful chemical engineers, but they leave Turkey. Currently, those trained engineers at HAVELSAN, ASELSAN, ROKETSAN are all going to the West. Why are they going? The world is currently snatching up all software developers. What about us? Instead of training software developers, we distributed computers to people. These are wrong policies. We need to be able to self-criticize. At least let's do it from now on because we have a tremendous youth. There is a youth with potential. Generation Z is a young digital generation. This is a big deal. Currently, this generation is a chance for us. These are good children. The digital generation is open to innovation. In other words, they do not form their life philosophies based on evil or not doing evil, like our generations. Innocence is more important to them. Innocence. This is a global thing. Green is more important to them. If we do not understand the language of the youth, we cannot teach them these moral and spiritual values.”
“The new generation doesn't look at words, but at essence”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, drawing attention to the influence of role models on children, said; “Role models are very important in moral and spiritual education. If role models are not good, that education does not happen. A man talked to his child for 3 hours about the virtues of speaking little. That is, if you talk for 3 hours about the virtues of speaking little, the child will say, 'Dad, you can't even speak little yourself, yet you're telling me,' and throws it back at you. The current generation immediately says, 'That was how it was in your time.' Therefore, the biggest reason for the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) success in the Age of Bliss was his being a perfect human role model. He influenced people that way. None of his actions contradicted his words. He emerged with the quality of trustworthiness. If we do not emerge with this quality of trustworthiness now, let's talk for hours about morality, morality – it will be for nothing. It will go in one ear and out the other. This new generation doesn't look at words, but at essence. Essence, words, and face need to unite.”
“When the family weakens, morality and spirituality also weaken”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that moral and spiritual values are not innate but acquired learning, and spoke about the family's influence on this matter. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said; “If we were to summarize the basis of morality in a single word, we could say lack of empathy. What is empathy? It was also taught in the Prophet's ethics: do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself. It is said that a believer cannot be a true believer if they do not love another believer as much as they love themselves. What does this mean? It means try to love as much as you love yourself and your loved ones. It's a very difficult thing, but to be a true believer, you will do it. The moment you cannot do this, abstract values are not innate. They are learned later. When liberalism was established, it was said, 'the market has no need for morality.' The capitalist market has no need for morality. There is an invisible hand, and that hand provides morality spontaneously. It is said to be genetically present, but unfortunately, it is not; it is taught. When a child is born, they learn moral and spiritual values genetically in society. When the family weakens, morality and spirituality also weaken. Within the family, the child sees keeping one's word, not lying. The smallest social unit is the family. When we dismantle these social units, the street cannot teach these units. There is no street anymore anyway; TV and computers have become the open door of the house. All information comes from there. Currently, even the home has lost its privacy. In such a situation, there should be a special project to realize moral and spiritual conditions.”
“The new generation's need for meaning and purpose is immense”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, making evaluations on the concept of freedom, said; “Thinking in terms of abstract values is what an average person should do. Right now, even this has weakened. Materialism has become a global ideology. Chasing profit has become the biggest goal. The danger awaiting us in an age of pleasure and speed is not political dangers. They are things that completely destroy both worlds. A smart person is one who invests in the afterlife as well. We cannot call someone who only thinks about worldly matters smart. A smart person has a long-term strategy and considers the future. When thinking according to high values, they consider being judicious. They embrace values like compassion and respect. They resist their instincts. True freedom is not doing whatever you want, but resisting your instincts. It is a person's ability to say no to their desires and impulses, which is called disciplining the lower self. There is a wild horse called the ego (nefis). When we discipline it, it takes us to our goal. If we kill it, it doesn't become permanent. Let's discipline it and make it serve its purpose. There isn't much difference between being a joker and disciplining the lower self. Only a purpose needs to be given. The new generation's need for meaning and purpose is immense.”
Reporter: Meryem Türk