Ziya Gökalp’s adaptation of Emile Durkheim’s sociology in his formulation of the modern Turkish nation

Abstract

Although Emile Durkheim’s sociology was used by the Turkish state elite in the early 20th century, no comprehensive literature delineating its influence on Turkish politics exists. This article attempts to fill this lacuna by analysing how Ziya Gökalp, the founding father of Turkish sociology and a prominent politician of the early 20th century, adapted Durkheimian sociology to explain and respond to the sociopolitical problems of the period. It relies on a comparative reading of the works of Gökalp and Durkheim, along with related academic literature. The present study proposes that: (1) Gökalp’s culture–civilization distinction is the foundation of his attempt to provide a basis for social unity in Turkey; and (2) Durkheim’s theoretical claims regarding magic and religion in particular, and his view on the relationship between social constraints and individual agencies in general, are intrinsic to the culture–civilization duality. This article concludes that the sociology of Ziya Gökalp is less original than has been suggested in the literature.