THE NEW OTTOMANS PRESS AND THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE

Authors : Bahar AYAZ

Pages : 625-645

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Publication Date : 2017-12-17

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The New Ottomans, who have resisted to the upper layers of an impoverished bureaucracy,  emerged in the 1860’s and published many newspapers in the Ottoman  Empire. This community had spread many ideas such as nationalism, patriotism,  westernization, and freedom in the Ottoman society. The contribution of the New  Ottomans to the transition period from the empire to the republic cannot be denied,  their newspapers has played an important part in the spread of democratic ideas in  society. Within the context of this study, the writings of the New Ottomans, the  newspapers they published, and in particular Namık Kemal’s writings are discussed  with the consideration of Hegel`s spirit of the age concept, because without an  adequate reference to the dominant characteristics of the age, the nature of this  community cannot be grasped. The ideas that this community advocated and the  reasons for its formation can be linked to the ‘spirit of the age’ because the New  Ottomans have spread the ideas that have long prevailed in the world. They have  defended concepts such as the freedom of the press and free thought, which are  dominant in most parts of the world. Also the constitutional monarchy which has  become dominant in the world has been proposed as a system that can function in  the Ottoman Empire by these thinkers. 
Keywords : New Ottomans, Namık Kemal, spirit of the age, zeitgeist