A Muslim humanist of the Ottoman Empire : Ismail Hakki Bursevi and his doctrine of the perfect man

Author/Creator:

Cook, Hamilton, author

Publication/Creation:

Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2019

Resource Type:

Book

More Details

Additional/Related Title Information

Full Title:

A Muslim humanist of the Ottoman Empire : Ismail Hakki Bursevi and his doctrine of the perfect man / Hamilton Cook

Related Names

Additional Author/Creators:

Cornell, Vincent J., degree supervisor
Emory University. Islamic Civilizations Studies, degree granting institution

Subjects/Genre

Genre:

Electronic dissertations
Academic theses

Description/Summary

Summary:

This dissertation explores the Sufi anthropology (the Sufi doctrine of the identity and purpose of the human being) of the Ottoman shaykh Ismail Hakki Bursevi (1063-1137/1653-1725). In his theological writings, Bursevi focused on the metaphysical and worldly nature of the human being in a radically holistic manner. Because of his rather unprecedented Sufi anthropology, it is the primary contention of this dissertation that Bursevi can be considered a Muslim humanist before the modern concept of Humanism. Bursevi's Sufi anthropology, as a version of pre-modern, Islamic Humanism, challenges current conceptions of secular as well as religious Humanism as inherently Western, modern, and Judeo-Christian.This dissertation also investigates the ways in which elements of Bursevi's Sufi anthropological writings are contrastingly elitist, exclusivistic, and misogynistic. The secondary argument of this dissertation is that Bursevi also articulated a kind of Anti-Humanism, which can be understood as the reverse or "flip-side" of his Humanism. The reason for Bursevi's "anti-humanistic turn" can be found in his rigidly idealistic application of his Sufi anthropology to theoretical politics. I call this application Bursevi's "politicization of the concept of the Perfect Man (Ar. al-insan al- kamil)." Bursevi's politics were based on a kind of utopian ideal, what I call his "Society of Perfect Men." He likewise conceived of a political system-his "Despotism of the Perfect Man"-meant to facilitate the creation of this Society. All in all, Bursevi's politics were an attempt to refashion human society in the image of his Sufi anthropology.

Language:

English

Language Note:

English

Physical Type/Description:

1 online resource (263 pages)

General Note:

Source of abstract: Dissertations Abstracts International, Volume: 81-08, Section: A.
Advisors: Cornell, Vincent J. ; Committee members: Ruby Lal; Devin Stewart.
Keywords: Bursevi, Ismail Hakki; Utopia / Utopianism; Ottoman history; Humanism; Sufism

Local Note:

ProQuest digital dissertation copies of Emory dissertations may be downloaded free of charge by Emory faculty, students, and staff unless the author has chosen to embargo the work.

Additional Identifiers

Catalog ID (MMSID):

9937181317702486

ISBN:

9781392546697