Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Arts
  • Cinema
  • Music
  • Events
  • Portrait
  • Reviews
  • Performing Arts

Sabri Ülgener: Weberian sociologist and economist

by Hakan Arslanbenzer

Jun 26, 2020 - 12:21 pm GMT+3
Edited By Irem Yaşar
Professor Sabri Ülgener analyzed Ottoman economics with a Weberian approach.
Professor Sabri Ülgener analyzed Ottoman economics with a Weberian approach.
by Hakan Arslanbenzer Jun 26, 2020 12:21 pm
Edited By Irem Yaşar

Emphasizing the role of spiritual-cultural elements as well as material factors in the process of social transformation and economic development was what set professor Sabri Ülgener apart from his counterparts 

RECOMMENDED
The illustration shows Kaiser Wilhelm II. (Wikipedia Photo / Edited by Büşra Öztürk)

Famous travelers to Türkiye: Kaiser Wilhelm II, German ruler

kaiser-wilhelm-II

Sociology is a century-old discipline in Turkey. Turkish sociology is the child of political discussions among prominent intellectuals around the issue of Westernization. The Young Turks became deeply interested in sociology as it emerged in France. As their Western counterparts considered the discipline of sociology the science of modernity, the Ottoman intellectuals paid great attention to this new science since their main aim was to modernize the Ottoman state.

The sociological involvement of the Young Turks was not limited to the thoughts of French sociologists. Other than those positivists such as Ahmed Rıza, who found an ally in Auguste Comte, and other positivists in France, some others like Ahmet Şuayb were inclined to adopt the approach of Herbert Spencer, the British philosopher who was also one of the founders of sociology. More significantly, Ottoman thinker, Prince Sabahaddin thought and wrote on the scheme prepared by the Le Play school of sociology, while Ziya Gökalp, the founder of academic sociology in Turkey, analyzed history and society relying on Emile Durkheim’s theory of sociology. The quarrel between Sabahaddin and Gökalp, though essentially a political issue about the way to save the state and provide the progress, was also a scientific debate on the social science methodology.

Max Weber’s introduction into the social science sphere of Turkey happened after sociology was institutionalized at Istanbul University. Indeed, one should wait until the 1940s to discuss a true Weberian influence on the Turkish social scientists. At first, the influence of the Weberian content of the sociological style of the Chicago School of the United States was as direct on the Turkish social scientists. However, especially after the 1933 university reform, some German academics running from the Nazi regime brought Weberian thought to the Economy Department of Istanbul University. Gerhard Kessler and Alexander Rüstow introduced Weber’s ideas to students studying the economy or law there. A special student, Sabri Ülgener, who spoke German and translated the lectures of the German professors, was admitted as a research assistant in the economy branch of the School of Law in 1935. Ülgener is considered the most prominent Weber follower in Turkey.

Sabri Ülgener translated the lectures of the German professors at Istanbul University.
Sabri Ülgener translated the lectures of the German professors at Istanbul University.

Early life

Sabri Ülgener was born at the Gümüşhanevi house, a Sufi order, on May 8, 1911, in Cağaloğlu, an old Istanbul neighborhood. His paternal grandfather, Ismail Necati Efendi, was one of the disciples of Ahmed Ziyaeddin Gümüşhanevi, the founder of the order. His father, Mehmet Fehmi Ülgener, was the first Istanbul mufti during the Republican era. His mother, Emine Behice, was from a notable Istanbulite family.

Sabri Ülgener had famous cousins, including Kazım Karabekir and Ali Fuat Cebesoy, the commanders of the East and West frontiers during the War of Independence, Nazım Hikmet and Oktay Rifat, famous poets, and Mehmet Ali Aybar, the chairman of the Workers’ Party of Turkey.

Ülgener was first schooled at the elementary part of Istanbul High School. His father taught Islamic knowledge and Sufism to him. He also learned Arabic, Persian and Islamic calligraphy as a child. Later, he studied German and enrolled at the School of Law in 1932.

Inclination toward German historical school

After his graduation in 1935, Ülgener began to work as a research assistant in the economy and sociology department of the School of Law. He translated the lectures, articles and books of the German professors at the school. Alexandre Rüstow made him read and adopt the approach of the German historical school and learn the ideas of Werner Sombart and Max Weber. He gave a dissertation on the economical mentality of the Islamic world in 1937, where he argued the religious influence of the formation of the economical mentality of Islamic society and earned a Ph.D. degree.

Ülgener showed great enthusiasm during the 1940s by publishing articles and developing his Weberian approach to the historical mentality of Turkish society. Meanwhile, he became one of the prominent professors of the Economy Department, where he worked with great colleagues like Ömer Lütfi Barkan and Ziyaeddin Fahri Fındıkoğlu. In the 1947-48 academic year, Ülgener visited Harvard, where he studied Keynesian economics.

Ülgener became a full professor in 1951. In the same year, he published “İktisadi İnhitat Tarihimizin Ahlak ve Zihniyet Meseleleri” ("The Ethical and Mentality Issues of the Turkish History of Economic Collapse"), which is considered as his masterpiece. In that book, like in many related articles, he used a modified version of the Weberian approach to analyze Turkish society. Like Weber, Ülgener, too, played a significant role in the religious mentality of the people in explaining the economic developments in history. However, unlike Weber, who thought that Calvinism was the mentality that helped the emergence of capitalism, Ülgener put Sufism in the core of the economic collapse of the Ottoman state. According to Ülgener, Sufism influenced the Turkish people in the opposite direction that Calvinism had influenced Europeans. Though Calvinism helped people work and compile savings according to a rational understanding, Sufism prevented people from doing that because of its irrational mentality.

Ülgener worked as the dean of Istanbul University's Economy Department from 1954 to 1956. He worked at the University of Munich from 1958 to 1959 and at the University of Columbia from 1964 to 1965 as a visiting professor. Ülgener retired in 1981 and died in Istanbul in 1983, leaving many books and articles as a legacy.

RECOMMENDED
The illustration shows Kaiser Wilhelm II. (Wikipedia Photo / Edited by Büşra Öztürk)

Famous travelers to Türkiye: Kaiser Wilhelm II, German ruler

kaiser-wilhelm-II
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Jun 26, 2020 2:42 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    portrait sabrİ ülgener sociology economy turkey weber
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Mayan pyramid and ruins in the famous Tikal National Park, Guatemala. (Getty Images Photo)

    Scientists discover 417 Mayan cities in Guatemala's forested area

    mayan-city
    The 570th anniversary of the Istanbul conquest was marked with high participation of citizens in Istanbul's monumental Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Türkiye, May 29, 2023. (AA Photo)

    Türkiye celebrates 570th anniversary of conquest of Istanbul

    CONQUEST-OF-ISTANBUL

    Turkish Airlines becomes world's 8th most powerful airline

    TURKISH-AIRLINES

    'F-16 issue not linked to Türkiye's approval of Sweden's NATO bid'

    TÜRKIYE-US-RELATIONS
    No Image
    Demonstrations, Taksim Mosque and poppies: Top pictures of the week
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021