Civilization that appears in every aspect of life from etiquette and proper
conduct to city life, from architecture to music, from cuisine etiquette to
international politics, is a concept that has been on the agenda for two
centuries, which has also been worn down and wasted. Those who want
to start a war and those who end a war hide behind this same concept.
Barbaric actions made in the name of “the mission to civilize” necessitate
us to re-study the complicated history of modernity.
In an era where barbarity, modernity and being civilized are experienced
at the same time, the West falls short in defining civilization, while the
Islamic world is still looking for a definition. While following this search
for definition, this book claims that civilization that is based on logic and
ethics can be possible only with a certain understanding of existence, a
certain viewpoint, a strong appreciation and aesthetic taste.
“Studying the notion of being civilized and the current civilizations with
a nationalistic (Turkish, Ottoman, Islamic) and historical viewpoint as well
as a universal one; while including Western and Eastern sources and with
a philosophical point of view, this book scrutinizes every good