A Muslim Humanist of the Ottoman Empire: Ismail Hakki Bursevi and His Doctrine of the Perfect Man Open Access
Cook, Hamilton (Spring 2019)
Published
Abstract
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-insān 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.
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................1-5
Chapter 1: Sufi Anthropology and the Study of Humanism.....................................................6-43
Chapter 2: Ismail Hakki Bursevi: His Life, Times, and Works............................................44-101
Chapter 3: "Every Human Being is Adam:" Bursevi's Humanism.....................................102-140
Chapter 4: Bursevi's Anti-Humanism.................................................................................141-185
Chapter 5: Bursevi's Politicization of the "Perfect Man"....................................................186-227
Conclusion: Ismail Hakki Bursevi's Islamic Humanism: A Reassessment.........................228-237
Bibliography........................................................................................................................238-254
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