Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan participated in the “Visionary'25” program organized by the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MÜSİAD) with the theme “Connectivity: Order-Disorder-Reorder”. Tarhan made important assessments in the context of digitalization, artificial intelligence, and cultural transformation. Stating that a new civilization ontology is emerging, Tarhan drew attention to the concept of connectivity, which will strengthen social and cultural connections like Rome's stone roads. Stating that Anatolian wisdom and the East-West synthesis are guiding against the internal decay of modernism, Tarhan expressed that crises, through the concept of exploratory despair, will lead to new awakenings and revivals.
Many experts in their fields participated in the program held at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM).
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Actor and Director Reshad Strik, Artist and Academician Naoki Yamamoto, and Journalist Arwa Damon participated in the cultural panel organized as part of the program.
Züleyha Ortak moderated the panel, which examined digitalization, cultural interactions, and the transformation of the social structure.
“The whole world is being culturally reset”
Speaking at the panel, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that a civilization ontology indicated by science and philosophy is emerging; “It's now called the Digital New World Order. There is a global reset, a cultural reset. The entire world is currently being culturally reset. This is a situation that will build a new culture and a new civilization in the future. In other words, a new civilization ontology is emerging. A civilization ontology indicated by both science and philosophy is appearing. In such a situation, I want to compare artificial intelligence with Rome's stone roads. Rome had stone roads. It was said, ‘All roads lead to Rome.’ Thanks to these stone roads, Rome provided social mobility, economic mobility, monetary mobility, and all military mobility. For centuries, it maintained the single state order, which we call Pax Romana, and its status as the sole global superpower through these roads. Across the entire geography extending from the Middle East to England… The technology of that era was stone roads. What happened then? Then an awakening, a revival began in Jerusalem.” he began his words.
“We must not miss the artificial intelligence revolution”
Tarhan emphasized the importance of the East-West synthesis; “Artificial intelligence is creating a revolution like the transformation brought about by the printing press in human history. We missed the Industrial Revolution, but we must not miss this artificial intelligence revolution. Because if we miss it, we will lack a voice in the world on behalf of humanity. If we achieve the mental transformation gained through our old experiences and the past-future, East-West synthesis, our civilization's geography will make a very significant contribution to building the future. The West lacks social capital. If we can synthesize our social capital with the West's scientific capital, we can achieve this. Here, the internet and artificial intelligence can provide the same impact today that Rome's stone roads had in their time.” he stated.
“The way to empathy is social contact…”
Tarhan emphasized how empathy should be developed; “The way to learn empathy is social contact. If we want to teach a child empathy, we will send them to school, to daycare. If we want to teach a child human relationships, they will have plenty of contact with people, make mistakes. One step will be taken, and the other side will take a step. They will learn to notice the feelings, rights, and needs of the other side and thus develop empathy.” he said.
“Narcissism is the personality form of selfishness”
Tarhan pointed out that narcissistic individuals end up alone; “Currently, a book titled ‘Narcissism Epidemic’ has been published in the US. Pandemic means a global epidemic, while epidemic means a local epidemic. Narcissism is selfishness that has become a personality. Globally today, if a person is narcissistic, lives only focused on their own interests, considers themselves special, important, and superior, is constantly fed by praise, is closed to criticism, and always chases pleasure, these individuals eventually end up alone. When they are powerful, people flock around them, but when they lose their power and opportunities, they become lonely and quickly collapse. Indeed, loneliness is one of the three major future dangers identified by the United Nations. The first is income inequality, the second is climate change, and the third is loneliness…” he said.
“We have a movement to build upon hearts”
Tarhan, stating that building hearts is more important; “Gaza has created a tremendous opportunity for us. So, how is what's happening in Gaza an opportunity? The children of the people there are dying, but the Gazans used the method employed by the Islamic Prophet. The Islamic Prophet, during the 13-year Mecca period and then the 10-year Medina period, despite all of Mecca's isolation and embargos, did not use weapons even when Omar said, ‘Let's fight.’ He did nothing against human rights. He tried to build hearts. He struggled for 13 years, yet he did not fight because his goal was to build upon hearts. They told him, ‘Come to Medina, be the emir of Mecca. We will give you every opportunity, marry whomever you wish.’ But he said, ‘Even if you put the Moon in one hand and the Sun in the other, I will not abandon my cause.’ If he had thought tactically and strategically, he would have accepted it, become a ruler, and then could have said, ‘Everyone will become Muslim anyway.’ But then Islam would not have built hearts. Therefore, today too, we have a movement to build upon hearts. What is happening in Gaza, along with artificial intelligence, has mobilized the global conscience.” he stated.
“There is no artificial intelligence without humans”
Tarhan stated that a tendency to seek truth has emerged among people; “There is a prejudice embedded in our brains for 50 years. The prejudice of Islamophobia. This prejudice has dissipated. In political psychology, this is called automatic stereotyping. For example, a white person living in America, walking with their child, unconsciously pulls their child closer when a black person approaches from the opposite direction. This is an automatic stereotype embedded in their brain, becoming an algorithm. A similar stereotype was created through Islamophobia. This has been broken, overturned. A learned behavior has been overthrown. Now, a tendency to seek truth has emerged among people. And globally, artificial intelligence offers us this opportunity. You might be responsible for professional management, but people from our civilization's geography also need to enter and ask about these issues to artificial intelligence, and explain them. Because artificial intelligence proceeds with whatever data it is formed with. There is no artificial intelligence without humans. Artificial intelligence is not a subject, not an agent. If humanity disappears, artificial intelligence will also end. Artificial intelligence needs humans. Therefore, benevolent people need to use artificial intelligence. We must not leave it in the hands of malevolent people.” he said.
“The human brain seeks infinity, meaning, and freedom”
Tarhan emphasized the importance of connectivity in seeking truth and finding peace; “Since the world is currently like a village as we see it, much information can also be easily accessed. The most important point here is connectivity. In this era, connectivity is very important both in seeking truth and in finding peace. An individual's connectivity. The human brain seeks infinity, meaning, and and freedom. By its biological nature, the human brain desires to share, seeks to share. Currently, the global philosophy of life offers us a pleasure-oriented life. Modernism has changed humanity's philosophy of life, and the meaning and purpose of life have become chasing pleasure. So what does someone do who has no meaning in life, whose only meaning is pleasure? When their spouse is sick, they say, ‘I only live once,’ and leave.” he said.
“This process will lead to new awakenings, rises, and revivals”
Tarhan, highlighting the concept of exploratory despair; “Globally, modernism is currently experiencing serious internal decay. The solution to this decay lies in Anatolian wisdom. Our teachings that have come down to us for centuries, our social capital, our wisdom, and the meaning we add to life definitely need a synthesis with the scientificity of the East. There is a need for a new civilization ontology, a new construction. This will happen, but with connectivity, that is, with interconnectedness, a re-order, a reorganization will take place. In a way, better days await humanity in the future. I am not pessimistic. Why, you ask? Crises like the Gaza event push many people into pessimism, but we call this exploratory despair. When a person falls into despair, if they do not lose hope in that despair, they emerge learning something. Currently, we are experiencing a global exploratory despair. This process will lead to the discovery of new things, new awakenings, rises, and revivals.” he concluded his words.