Islamic and Turkish Philosophy

Hello, I'm Eşref ALTAŞ. I am a faculty member in the Philosophy Department at Istanbul Medeniyet University. I am also the head of the Department of Islamic and Turkish Philosophy, which operates under the Philosophy main discipline. This program actually has two components. The first component is Islamic philosophy. We examine the ideas, methods, and views on existence and knowledge of Muslim philosophers from the early Muslim philosophers to the present day. In a similar manner, we study Turkish philosophy, particularly the Turkish ideals that emerged alongside Islamic philosophy after the Turks embraced Islam, including the Seljuk, Ottoman, and contemporary periods. Within this framework, our students have the flexibility to focus on either Islamic philosophy or Turkish philosophy based on their interests. The program of Islamic and Turkish philosophy is offered as both a master's and a doctoral program. In the master's program, students undergo a six-semester educational program. The first year consists of coursework, followed by the requirement to prepare a thesis. By completing eight courses, one seminar course, and the thesis, students fulfill the requirements for the master's degree. In the doctoral program, the duration is a maximum of twelve semesters. During this period, students complete their coursework and seminar courses, and also fulfill the requirements of the doctoral program, including a qualification exam. They propose a thesis and, upon completion of the thesis, they graduate from the doctoral program. The program has ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) requirements, with a total of 240 ECTS credits. In the master's program, they also need to complete 120 ECTS credits. Both our master's and doctoral courses are conducted at our university's South campus. There are different requirements for both the master's and doctoral programs in Islamic and Turkish Philosophy. For the master's program, a bachelor's degree is sufficient, while for the doctoral program, a master's degree is required. Our professors have completed their education in their respective fields through doctoral and postdoctoral programs, both domestically and internationally.In the master's program of Islamic and Turkish Philosophy, the courses cover the intellectual heritage from Greek Philosophy to the Islamic world. These courses consider the philosophical continuity in the Islamic world and cover topics such as periodization, philosophers, conceptual analysis, and the fundamental areas of systematic philosophy such as ontology, epistemology, ethics, and politics within Islamic philosophy. The content of the courses is predetermined. In other words, each course provides a syllabus, assigned readings, discussion questions, and the concepts to be used in the course, along with the objectives of the course. All of this information is provided to the students as a text before the course. Therefore, students can clearly see what they will study in each course and choose their courses accordingly at the beginning of the academic year.Islamic philosophy has been a part of our program in Turkish philosophy for 11 years. Throughout this 11-year period, we have graduated both master's and doctoral students, and we provide them with academic guidance in various ways. We share book lists with students regarding the topics they will be working on. Our university has a total of 5 libraries, located in the South, North, Orhanlı, and Ataları campuses. First and foremost, the Ziraat Library, aiming to become Istanbul's largest library, is open 24/7 for student use. On the other hand, a student studying Islamic and Turkish philosophy can benefit not only from our university's 5 libraries but also from other libraries related to their field and subject. As our program focuses on Islamic and Turkish philosophy, our students can take advantage of both the Mevlana Exchange Program and the ERASMUS program. Our Islamic and Turkish philosophy program can differ in several aspects from similar programs at other universities. First and foremost, it is one of the rare programs in Turkish universities that encompasses both Islamic and Turkish philosophy. We reserve quotas for international students in the Islamic and Turkish philosophy program, both at the master's and doctoral levels. The required condition is to pass either our university's entrance exam or the national Turkish language exam, and then complete the other processes of the doctoral program. The Islamic and Turkish philosophy program is truly an attractive program for students who will work in this field, thanks to its faculty members, curriculum, content, advisory processes, and library facilities in Istanbul. I wish good luck to the students who will take the exam. You are all welcome to the Islamic and Turkish Philosophy Program at Istanbul Medeniyet University.