Sokrat argues that "life without interrogation is not worth to be experienced". Human being is looking for answers for following questions while questioning
the meaning of his existence. "Who am I? From where do I come to this world and why? What is the meaning and goal of my life?" The essential aim of the philosophical
and religious belief is to find answers for these questions and thus to provide happiness for the humanity.
The new age in which the individual brings his body and desires at the center of his life compels us for a life without interrogation. The popular culture carried
over by the mass media a network brings human being away forms his ideals. As in the case of Bediüzzaman's proposal that "if there would not be any goal of life
than the minds would transform into selves", when the human being becomes away from his ideals/interrogations then he puts at the center his bodily desires. As
a result, this man living in accordance with his desires makes his "self and sources of desires" idols and can sacrifice everything -even his feelings- in order
to fulfill his desires. Also, he sees every impediment as enemy. This attitude is a reflection of the misuse of "the libidinal force" which is from one of the three
basic determinant forces over the human behaviors. After that time he is flowing through the valleys of error and the main issues in his mind become to be issues
such as richness, power, fame, success, beauty and sexuality. If the man who makes these issues as the main goal of his life can not reach his aim then he deals
with many psychological problems. According to the researches, one third of the women and two fifth of the man population is dealint with the problem of depression.
This shows us that the main source of the problem is on individual.
From this point on, we define our subject for the dossier as "Popular Slavery: Sensuality". We try to explain the issue around some key concepts such as "id, egocentricism,
conformity, hedonism, sensuality, egoism, narcissism, depression and success obsession".
Mustafa Ulusoy, in his article of "The Construction of a Desire from the Ashes of Narcissism: The Relationship Between the Identity and the Desire" explains about
the systematic of thought which is not based on revelation is not a rationalist one, it only uses the reason as an instrument of the desires. The author tries to
show that the desire is not in work only to satisfy bodily feelings, but it might also show itself with its cognitive aspect.
Yusuf Özkan Özburun, compares in his article the concept of "Super Man" of Nietzsche who based his philosophy upon the Ancient Greek, Pagan Rome and Eastern mysticism
and presents this concept for the modern Western world with the concept of "Excellent Man" which is both the cause and result of the Islamic civilization. Özburun,
claims that the ultimate goal of the creation is not to rule over the world but to be able to get the will of God. The "excellent man" is a man of equilibrium and
it is emphasized as a sample model which defines the standards of the humanness because of the fact that the names and attributes of God are reflected upon the
personality of "Excellent Man".
Furkan Aydıner, compares the ideas of Bediüzzaman Said Nursi with the ideas of Jeremy Bentham who was one of the great thinkers of the capitalist system and founders
of the pragmatism around the concepts of pleasure and pain. According to Bentham, the "ultimate and unique" aim of the life is maximizing pleasures of individuals
and societies and minimizing pains. But Nursi criticizes the hedonism strongly. According to him, the humanity can only accomplish the happiness when it understands
the human being with all of the spiritual and bodily feelings and then satisfies them within the legitimate boundaries.
Nevzat Tarhan, claims that the modernity promotes the human prototype which was not virtuous but pragmatic, which prioritizes his happiness rather than other's
happiness, which does not consider abstract tastes but concrete tastes as important. Tarhan, concludes his article in which he analyzes the narcissistic psychological
stance and the characteristic of narcissist personality by listing the points during a possible interaction with such persons.
Sadık Yalsızuçanlar, reaches the conclusion of the man who knows the richness of his soul and the "self" as a trust can know also his God in his article which he
wrote around the hadith of Who knows his Real Self knows his God. According the author, human being can only knows himself according to the level of the Names of
God which are reflected in his self.
Yasemin Yaşar, argues in her article of "Civilization and Slavery" that the freedom which is intrinsic in the definition of liberty is completely different from
the freedom that is understood by our contemporary men. The author suggests that people as trying to be free in the traps of this dissipated civilization fall into
the misery and became slaves to their own selves.
A. Said Yargıcı, lists the reasons of the sensuality (1) to prefer the temporary taste, (2) to be deceived by the temporary life of this world, (3) making the resemblance
to the God as the main aim of his life. As a cure, he proposes to be enemy to the self, but after it became satisfied, we should be compassionate against the self.
Reha Fırat, writes about the nationalism which is to be a social reflection of narcissism. He bases the nationalism on the selfishness and belligerence which are
deep in the individual psychology.
S. Bahaddin Yaşar, analyzes the book of Telbîs-i İblîs (Devil's Enticement) by İbnü'l-Cevzî. This book enables us to compare the Islamic society in the twelfth
century with our contemporary society.
There are also two articles except those in dossier. The first one is by Prof. Dr. Yasien Mohamed from South Africa, the article entitled as "The Pathways to Tolerance
in a Multi-Madhhab Society: Faith and Forgiveness in the Thought of Said Nursi". The second one is English translation of the article by Nuri Çakır published in
or 84th issue, "The Method of the Headscarf Defense and Proofs for Justness". We hope that this translation will be beneficial during the period of the internationalization
of the headscarf debate.
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As we gave up the word and invite you to the content of our periodical, we hope to meet you again with our 88th issue in which the dossier subject will be "Poverty".