Üsküdar Üniversitesi Professor Dr. İbrahim Özdemir, Head of the Department of Philosophy, participated in the 1st International Conference on Modern Trends in Humanities and Social Sciences with an opening paper titled “Reflecting on the Meaning of Life During the Pandemic: Lessons of Hope and Comfort in Times of the Covid-19 Pandemic.” Özdemir added that the pandemic could be a wake-up call for many of us.
Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir, who was also a member of the conference organizing committee, began his speech by thanking Hoca Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Üsküdar Üniversitesi, and the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences for organizing the 1st International Conference on Modern Trends in Humanities and Social Sciences.
“Billions of people under lockdown or self-isolation”
In the program, which was also attended by Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan on the first day's session, Özdemir emphasized that the aim of the conference was to combine the vision, experience, knowledge, and sincerity of all three institutions to initiate a dialogue and provide a platform for different perspectives; “It is important for all three institutions to combine their experiences to discuss the problem at length and share their findings with academia and the public, even as some scientists prefer conspiracy theories or unscientific attitudes. The current pandemic we are experiencing is one of the most daunting challenges we have faced in our lives. There is no doubt that we have been living in fearful and difficult times since the beginning of the pandemic in China. No one had imagined that it would spread across the world in a short time and affect 220 countries and regions. Millions of people have been infected with COVID-19 so far, and approximately four million people have lost their lives. Billions of people are under lockdown or self-isolation,” he said.
“The pandemic can be a wake-up call for many”
Prof. Dr. Özdemir drew attention to an important point based on this; “Precisely for this reason, the pandemic can be a wake-up call for many. It forces people to rethink the meaning of life and reprioritize their lives. Moreover, it may be the moment when the world steps back from fear and isolation and instead turns to hope, solidarity, and a sense of a common global community. It should be considered natural for contemporary humanity, in search of meaning, to question its place in the universe and the meaning of life once again. According to existentialist writer Albert Camus, ‘questioning the meaning of life’ is humanity's most important problem. Today's human, despite all scientific and technological advancements, is essentially asking an ancient question again as they try to make sense of their life,” he stated.
“Humanity is the last but most important link in the great chain of being”
Özdemir emphasized that Islamic thought, by giving meaning to existence and humanity, “humanized” people and elevated them to the highest rank, described as “ahsen-i takvim” (the best stature), to the status of Insan-i Kamil (the perfect human being); “In Islamic thought, the true being is Allah, who is transcendent and absolute. Allah is the creator of the entire universe, including humanity. Humanity is the last but most important link in the great chain of being. Humanity is the only being that, with its free consciousness, knows or rejects itself, the universe, and, based on these, the absolute being. A human being, aware of himself and the transcendent being through his free will, is not in a strange and absurd world as a result of this awareness or belief. In this world, he is an honored guest of the Creator. There is no fragmentation or loneliness in his self. He is peaceful and happy in the presence of the Absolute and transcendent being. He has a bond and relationship with everything in the universe. For him, everything is a symbol and document pointing to the Absolute ‘One’,” he concluded.