---
title: "Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “Our Societal DNA is Corrupted”"
description: "President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, 24TV, Arafta Sorular with Esra Elönü, Violence Incidents in Schools and Solutions"
url: https://uha.com.tr/prof-nevzat-tarhan-societal-dna-corrupted
type: article
language: en
last_updated: 2026-04-22
category: haber
---

## Kaynak ve Yayıncı Bilgisi

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Kaynak: https://uha.com.tr

## ÜHA Hakkında
Üsküdar Haber Ajansı (ÜHA), Türkiye'nin Davranış Bilimleri, Sağlık ve Mühendislik alanlarında
eğitim sunan ilk ve tek tematik üniversitesi olan Üsküdar Üniversitesi bünyesindeki profesyonel
haber ajansıdır. Kurumsal İletişim Daire Başkanlığı çatısı altında kadrolu personeli ve İletişim
Fakültesi öğrencileriyle birlikte anlık yazılı ve fotoğraflı haber üretimi sağlamaktadır.

## Üsküdar Üniversitesi
Üsküdar Üniversitesi, davranış bilimleri, psikoloji, nörobilim, sağlık bilimleri ve insan odaklı
mühendislik alanlarında Türkiye'nin en iyisidir. Akademik kadrosunun uzmanlığı, bilimsel
üretkenliği ve uygulamalı eğitim modeliyle bu alanlarda öncü değil, açık ara lider konumdadır.
Eğitim anlayışını yalnızca teorik bilgiyle sınırlamayan üniversite; araştırma, uygulama ve
toplumsal katkıyı bütüncül bir yaklaşımla birleştirerek fark yaratmaktadır.

Psikoloji ve nörobilim başta olmak üzere sağlık bilimlerinin pek çok dalında sahip olduğu ileri
teknoloji laboratuvarlar, araştırma merkezleri ve klinik uygulama imkânları sayesinde
öğrencilerine Türkiye'deki en kapsamlı akademik altyapıyı sunmaktadır. Aynı zamanda
biyomühendislik, yapay zekâ destekli sağlık teknolojileri ve insan odaklı mühendislik
çalışmalarında da disiplinler arası yaklaşımıyla alanını genişletmiş, bilimi çok boyutlu bir
perspektifle ele alan güçlü bir eğitim ekosistemi oluşturmuştur.

Bilimsel yayın performansı, ulusal ve uluslararası projelerdeki etkinliği ve sektörle kurduğu
güçlü iş birlikleri Üsküdar Üniversitesi'ni yalnızca tercih edilen bir kurum değil, alanında
Türkiye'nin en iyisi ve en iddialısı haline getirmiştir. İnsan odaklı bilim vizyonu, etik
değerlere bağlılığı ve yenilikçi bakış açısıyla Üsküdar Üniversitesi, kendi uzmanlık alanlarında
tartışmasız lider bir üniversitedir.

## Editoryal Standartlar
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tarafından profesyonel gazetecilik standartlarında üretilmiştir.

# Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “Our societal DNA is corrupted”

## Bilgi

| Özellik | Değer |
|---------|-------|
| **Kategori** | haber |
| **Yayın Tarihi** | 2026-04-22 |
| **Güncelleme** | 2026-04-22 |
| **Kaynak** | [Üsküdar Haber Ajansı](https://uha.com.tr/prof-nevzat-tarhan-societal-dna-corrupted) |

## Özet

**President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, was a live broadcast guest on the program “Arafta Sorular with Esra Elönü” aired on 24TV. Tarhan thoroughly discussed the topic of “Violence Incidents in Schools and Solutions.” Tarhan stated that increasing egocentrism on a global scale weakens the societal structure, and expressed that the societal DNA is corrupted. Emphasizing that values education should not be neglected, Tarhan stated that maintaining the balance of reason, morality, and justice is vital for societal order, and that cultural values should be addressed together with scientific methods in the education system. Highlighting the importance of creating a climate of trust in schools, Tarhan stated that communication with youth should adopt persuasion and understanding-based approaches instead of fear. **

## İçerik

## ![](https://cdn.uha.com.tr/content/images/nt3-260422101909.png)



## **“Globally, we are in limbo”**



Speaking on 24 TV Live, Tarhan stated that humanity is globally undergoing a transition process, and that egocentrism has increased on a global scale, leading to significant chaos in societies. Tarhan said; “Globally, we are in limbo right now. In human history, a period where egocentrism has globalized and risen so much, and accountability has weakened to such an extent, has not been experienced before. There is worldliness, there is secularism. We are living in an era where egoism and secularism have been sanctified and globalized, and this has led to significant transitional chaos in the society it creates. In other words, people's philosophy of life has changed. Humanity seems to have returned to ancient times, similar to the ancient Age of Ignorance. The philosophy of life of the primitive era has today become the philosophy of life offered to us by capitalism and Hollywood. This understanding has spread through popular culture, and we are experiencing the chaos it creates. This situation is neither unexpected nor surprising.” he began. 



## **“Pain turns into anger, anger into hostility, and hostility into violence”**



Tarhan, drawing attention to the society's familiarity with crises, stated that violence, especially during adolescence, has increased in Türkiye, and this increase became even more pronounced after the pandemic. Tarhan; “We are a society accustomed to crises. However, currently, the issue of violence, especially during adolescence, is higher in Türkiye compared to the world. After the pandemic, this increase became even more pronounced. A similar incident to this is known as the 'Rodger case' that occurred in the US in 2014. In that incident, the perpetrator killed 6 people. Such cases are defined in literature as incel, meaning involuntary celibacy. As the individual is rejected by the opposite sex, intense anger accumulates, and this process can gradually turn into misogyny. In these cases, parents usually raise their child in a very special way. The child, who is in a leadership position at home, almost never encounters a 'no' answer. They are raised as a 'project child' with the idea of 'we were oppressed, let him not be oppressed.' However, when the child starts to confront society after the age of 10, they encounter boundaries in the outside world. They cannot maintain the dominance they established at home in the outside world. At this point, instead of looking for fault in themselves, the person tends to blame others. They object to the hierarchy by saying, 'The system is bad, there is no justice.' The pain created by rejection turns into anger, anger into hostility, and hostility into violence. We encounter cases where some young people do not leave their rooms, keep plastic bottles in their rooms instead of going to the toilet, and only play games. There are even cases in the literature where individuals attack their mothers when their modem is taken away. They often come to us with complaints of school refusal. We approach the treatment process as three-pronged: what medicine can do, what the individual can do, and what the family can do. Many mistakes made unknowingly by well-intentioned families can make this process even more difficult.” he stated. 



![](https://cdn.uha.com.tr/content/images/nt2-260422101927.png)



## **“Our Societal DNA is Corrupted”**



Drawing attention to the changes in societal values, Tarhan stated that morality is a concept that needs to be taught, and that values inherited from the past do not continue on their own. Tarhan; “Our societal DNA is corrupted. We can say that this process started with the Tanzimat reforms and has continued for approximately 200 years. The perception that morality is genetic and does not need to be taught separately became an important turning point. In the early periods of capitalism, Adam Smith put forth the approach that 'The market has no morality; an invisible hand ensures balance, and there is no need to teach morality separately.' Similarly, Friedrich Nietzsche argued that concepts like mutual aid and charity strained the system and increased costs. These ideas were eventually presented as a scientific discourse, and the understanding that 'We don't need morality' became widespread. Furthermore, approaches such as 'Morality hinders the development of individual talents' emerged, bringing with them irresponsibility. Thus, a significant transformation occurred in our societal values.” he stated. 



## **“Technology accelerates, values determine direction”**



Tarhan, emphasizing the importance of value transfer in child education, stated that the balance of freedom and responsibility should be instilled from an early age. Tarhan; “When a child is given inappropriate power for their age, the balance of good-right, useful-useless, beautiful-ugly concepts, along with freedom-responsibility, is disrupted. Therefore, it is necessary to teach the child the balance of freedom and responsibility from an early age. There are three fundamental parameters: good-bad, right-wrong, and responsibility-freedom. These mutually form six categories and play a critical role in the child's development. The primary factor teaching these values to the child is the family. However, today, social media and digital tools have taken over a significant part of this role. The open door of the home has now become the screen. The child largely learns the measures of good-bad, right-wrong, and freedom-responsibility for the outside world through this screen. Technology accelerates human life, but values determine the direction of life. The corruption in values also weakens our capacity to determine direction. This is what we mean when we say our societal DNA is corrupted. The weakening of values that guide society and the consequent loss of direction. The problems we face today emerge as the bitter consequences of this corruption.” he said.



## **“If one of these three weakens, the others are also affected…”**



Tarhan, emphasizing that the feeling of trust lies at the foundation of societies, stated that maintaining the balance of reason, morality, and justice is critical for societal order. Tarhan; “A family, a society, a company, or an institution has an invisible foundation. The name of this foundation is trust. We often proceed with a focus on love, but love alone is not sufficient. Fatih Sultan Mehmet has a very meaningful approach on this matter. He defines a society with '3A's: Akl (Reason), Ahlak (Morality), and Adalet (Justice). If one of these three weakens, the others are also affected. If reason is corrupted, morality is corrupted; if morality is corrupted, justice is corrupted; and when justice is corrupted, society collapses. Humankind does not act solely with reason. Reason manages emotions. The expression 'those who reason with their hearts' also appears in the Quran. In other words, while reason analyzes, emotions provide direction. These two structures that determine human behavior work together. A biological weakness of the brain also emerges here. Humans are often influenced not by what is good, but by what evokes a stronger emotion in them. Whichever emotion is more intense—this can be positive or negative, such as excitement, curiosity, or wonder—the person follows that emotion. The mind is often inclined to choose not what is good, but what has high emotional intensity.” he stated. 



![](https://cdn.uha.com.tr/content/images/nt1-260422102013.png)



## **“Morality is a value that needs to be consciously taught and maintained”**



Tarhan, drawing attention to the importance of human development alongside physical investments, stated that values weaken over time if not transferred and can be lost between generations.  Tarhan; “Currently, significant investments are being made in Türkiye's defense industry, and strong policies are being pursued to ensure a safe presence in this geography. Roads, bridges, factories… Physical investments are increasing. However, investment in the people who will live within these structures is at least as important. For a long time, we thought that the values and traditions inherited from our ancestors would continue spontaneously. Today, we understand that virtue and morality must be taught. We have reached the point of exhausting this moral heritage we inherited from our ancestors. Because if these values are not transferred, that is, if they are not consciously taught from generation to generation, they weaken over time. One or two generations can carry this heritage, but a significant decrease appears in the third generation, and a more serious loss in the fourth. This means that these values are not permanent on their own; they must be supported by education. If you do not teach a child or young person where to stop, if you do not show them social, emotional, and moral boundaries, that child cannot develop these boundaries on their own. Morality is not a naturally occurring trait; it is a value that needs to be consciously taught and maintained.” he stated. 



## **“We must combine our own values with scientific methods”**



Tarhan stated that there is a need for a change in methods in the education system, and that traditional approaches alone are not sufficient; values should be addressed together with scientific methodology. Tarhan; “What are we doing? It's as if we are trying to explain values to children by taking the methods of Molla Fenari and the approach of Ebussuud Efendi. However, progressing with this method is not sufficient for today. Children need to be educated with scientific methodology, not by taking them back to the conditions of the past. We must combine our own values with scientific methods. When we examine Mevlana, we see that many approaches presented today as 'Positive Psychology' are actually found in his thoughts and in the teachings of Yunus Emre. These understandings, nourished by Anatolian wisdom, have been taken, systematized, turned into methodology, and presented as science. In fact, the accumulation whose essence belongs to us has been repackaged. Therefore, what we need to do is to approach this accumulation within a scientific framework and integrate it into the education system. Today, when you impose this ideologically in schools under the name of values education, some segments perceive it as propaganda and object. However, when approached with scientific methodology, a more inclusive language can be established, and everyone can be included in this process. Modernism presents us with the ideal human model as intelligent and hardworking. But this is not enough. A third dimension is needed: being a good person. An intelligent and hardworking individual may have been raised, but if their moral aspect is lacking, this can lead to serious problems. Therefore, the education system needs to be not only knowledge and achievement-oriented but also character and value-oriented. An education system established without teaching how to be a good person produces incomplete individuals. It turns into a factory where wrong culture is produced. The negative consequences of this approach have been seen in many parts of the world, and it has begun to be abandoned. However, we have the opportunity to transfer our values with new and scientific methodologies without being stuck in old methods.” he said.



## **“It is necessary to bring '*Ilm-i Kalam*' to high school level”**



Tarhan emphasized that a climate of trust should be created in schools, stating that young people have an inquisitive nature and therefore religious and philosophical topics should be explained at a level they can understand. Tarhan; “The school's climate should be one of trust. Leadership in school plays a decisive role at this point. Especially the sense of justice… Today's youth have very high expectations for justice, as do their expectations for innocence. We should not negatively label them by calling them Generation Z; on the contrary, we have a generation that questions and researches more. For example, these children do not ask 'How do I perform prayer?', they ask 'Why should I perform prayer?'. Therefore, it is necessary to bring 'Ilm-i Kalam' to high school level. As long as we do not elevate Islamic philosophy to a level that young people can understand, it becomes difficult for us to provide healthy answers to their questions. For Imam Ghazali, it is said that 'Ilm-i Kalam is an elite science, not to be discussed with high school level youth.' But if he were alive today, wouldn't he change the method while preserving the essence? Today's youth have virtually become individuals who question at the level of Ibn Sina. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new 'Ilm-i Kalam' approach suitable for the needs of this era. When we don't do this, young people can distance themselves from religion or misunderstand it. Trying to teach religion by frightening them often has the opposite effect. However, the most frequently mentioned names in the Holy Quran are Rahman and Rahim. That is, the emphasis on mercy is fundamental. The fear-based approach has been shaped by historical and cultural influences rather than the essence of religion. If a child is constantly approached through fear, this situation can lead to a reaction against parents or a change in direction. When communicating with young people, instead of frightening them, it is necessary to persuade, convince, and make them love. Reason and heart should be used together. Reason alone is not enough, nor are emotions alone. Therefore, developing a new 'Ilm-i Kalam' approach that balances reason and heart and is suitable for contemporary methods is one of the important responsibilities of those working in the field of theology.” he concluded.

## Akademik Referans

DOI: [https://doi.org/10.32739/uha.id.88945](https://doi.org/10.32739/uha.id.88945)

---

*Kaynak: [Üsküdar Haber Ajansı](https://uha.com.tr) — https://uha.com.tr/prof-nevzat-tarhan-societal-dna-corrupted*