A Weberian Critique of Weber: Re-Evaluation of Sabri F. Ülgener’s Studies on Socio-Economic Structure of Turkey

Abstract

Efforts to understand the transformation that has been experienced in Turkey for two centuries in the areas of politics, economics and intellect indispensably lead us to Sabri F. Ülgener. His unique approach in examining socio-economic changes, his different methodology and concepts that are developed by him; his researches stemming from economics and expanding through law and literature are referred as important initiations for understanding the differentiation in world-view (zihniyet) through huge historical changes. Ülgener, actually investigated the process of modernization in historical manner from a theoretical approach. In this manner, his analysis on world-view is a valuable contribution in offering explanations for current modern transformations after Ottoman society. As it is indicated in many studies abou him, Ülgener is one of the exceptional thinkers who can use the data that were collected through many fields like economic, sociology, history and literature in his researches. In this article, theoretical framework of Ülgener’s analysis on world-view is to be examined in a critical view of point.