“Immorals” in Ottoman Society: Genealogy of the Ottoman Morality Discourse in Late Nineteenth-Century

Abstract

Since the Tanzimat edict the Ottoman state started to adopt a liberal governmental rationality similar to the Western states. According to Foucault, government refers to “the conduct of conduct” and governmentality is state’s use of modern and rational governmental techniques for conducting the acts of individuals and populations. At the turn of the century, the Ottoman state, which had increased its administrative modernization and centralization, became responsible for public security and order. The state apparatus provided this public order by reproducing the traditional morality of the neighborhood in the state discourse of governmentality. In other words, the moral discourse of the neighborhood was juxtaposed with the citizen-based liberal administrative discourse that responded to public safety, public health and the lower demands of the citizens. Presenting the genealogy of moral discourse in the late Ottoman society, this study shows that the moral regime in the premodern Ottoman neighborhood is combined with the modern administrative discourse focused on “good governance” that serves the safety and well-being of society and citizens (i.e., populations and the individuals in them, respectively).

Türkiye’de Dijital Feminist Aktivizm: Uzun Süredir Beklenen Dördüncü Dalga Feminizm Geldi mi?

“…During the late Ottoman society, traditional moral discourse on gender, based on gender segregation and traditional gender roles, was dominant, both in urban and rural settings (Mustafa, 2022). However, during the same period, the upper class educated Ottoman women questioned these traditional gender roles and demanded participation in public sphere, as well as gaining their rights to education, and to work.…”