Mehmet Fuat Sezgin’s Family Circle and His Academic Life in Turkey

Year 2019, Volume: 60 Issue: 1, 185 - 205, 31.05.2019

Hüseyin Hansu

Abstract

Mehmet
Fuat Sezgin is a highly distinguished scholar in his studies on the foundations
of modern sciences in Islamic çivilization. In his research, Sezgin examines
the contributions of Muslim scholars to modern sciences, mainly through the
ninth to sixteenth centuries. During this period, the fundamental scientific
texts of Ancient Greeks were translated into Arabic, then interpreted and
elaborated upon by Muslim scholars. Beginning in the late sixteenth century,
the Greek sciences were transferred from the Islamic world to the Europe.
However, contemporary works on the history of sciences
have ignored the contribution of Islamic scholars to this matter and have
described Greek and Latin civilizations as the uninterrupted continuations of
one another. In his academic life of more than half a century, Sezgin
elucidated the eight centuries old missing link of the history of science by
bringing to light the life and works of thousands of Muslim scholars known for
their scientific works. However, there are no studies yet that evaluate the
outstanding works of Sezgin and his life. This article partly addresses that
need and examines Sezgin's family and his early academic life.

 

Keywords

Fuat Sezgin, Mirza Sezgin, History of Science, Islamic Civilization, Renaissance

Mehmet Fuat Sezgin’in Aile Çevresi ve Türkiye’deki Akademik Serüveni

Abstract

Mehmet
Fuat Sezgin is a highly distinguished scholar in his studies on the foundations
of modern sciences in Islamic çivilization. In his research, Sezgin examines
the contributions of Muslim scholars to modern sciences, mainly through the
ninth to sixteenth centuries. During this period, the fundamental scientific
texts of Ancient Greeks were translated into Arabic, then interpreted and
elaborated upon by Muslim scholars. Beginning in the late sixteenth century,
the Greek sciences were transferred from the Islamic world to the Europe.
However, contemporary works on the history of sciences
have ignored the contribution of Islamic scholars to this matter and have
described Greek and Latin civilizations as the uninterrupted continuations of
one another. In his academic life of more than half a century, Sezgin
elucidated the eight centuries old missing link of the history of science by
bringing to light the life and works of thousands of Muslim scholars known for
their scientific works. However, there are no studies yet that evaluate the
outstanding works of Sezgin and his life. This article partly addresses that
need and examines Sezgin's family and his early academic life.

 

Keywords

Fuat Sezgin, History of Science, Islamic Civilization, Renaissance, Mirza Sezgin

References

• Sezgin, Fuat. Bilim Tarihi Sohbetleri. Haz. Sefer Turan. İstanbul: Timaş Yayınları, 2013.