Idea of Progress and Happiness in Abidin Pasha
Terakki, which is generally used in Turkish to mean "spiritual rise of individuals and societies", gained similar meanings to the word progress, meaning linear progress, after the 18th century. The belief that progressive societies are happier has been included in the content of the word. This situation resulted in the word terakki indicating two different meanings in Turkish: Material and spiritual terakki.
The use of the word terakki in the texts of different names in different periods, in terms of temperament and profession, and the similarities with its meanings in ancient literature and the points where they differ will contribute to both a better understanding and the intellectual biographies of the names who use it in their texts. As a matter of fact, the use of the word terakki by Abidin Pasha, a bureaucrat of Sufi disposition, in his works on exegesis and ethics in Devr-i Hamidi, is a remarkable example of what he understands when he says happiness.
In this study, attention is drawn to Abidin Pasha's perception of material terakki as technical-technology and spiritual terakki as moral terakki seen as a result of the proper implementation of Islam; The meanings he attributed to the word terakki and the connection it established with happiness were identified and analyzed.
Fulya İBANOĞLU
