The Republic demands generations with free minds, free consciences, and free wisdom

This profound statement, made by the great leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to educators one hundred years ago at the Teachers' Union Congress held in Ankara on August 25, 1924, carries great meaning for me as an educator, a communicator, and an information scientist. 

As we all know very well, the republican form of government is a model that is based on the sovereignty and participation of the people, and which protects democratic values and the rule of law. This model is of great importance in terms of protecting individual rights, ensuring justice, and maintaining social peace. Because it allows for the expression of different political and social views, it contributes to increasing social diversity and dynamism.

The importance of the republican administration is not limited to ensuring political order and justice; it also forms the foundation of economic and social development. For this reason, the republican administration is widely accepted as a preferred form of government by modern states. 

The great leader Atatürk, as a visionary leader aware of the importance of the republic, knew that for this model to rest on solid foundations, the people had to be saved from ignorance. It was for this reason that he entrusted the task of enlightening the public and spreading the republic to new generations to educators who would work with a pure sense of patriotism, without seeking any personal gain or reward. 

Throughout history, tyrannical rulers have consistently applied their various forms of oppression upon an ignorant public. When we look at history, we see that all tyrants have used the ignorance of the people as a weapon, enslaving them through various ambitions, bigotry, and hypocrisy. At such times, the people turn into masses of individuals who act on instinct and lack the power of reason and judgment. Therefore, ignorance is the arch-enemy of humanity. It is the symbol of darkness. 

For this same reason, educators must act fearlessly in spreading and protecting the truth. Being useful to society requires this. 

In today's digital age, I believe that the path to having a free mind and a free conscience, as emphasized in this profound statement by the great leader Atatürk, passes through having free wisdom. Wisdom means knowledge. It is impossible for someone whose knowledge is not free to have a free mind and a free conscience. In other words, the priority lies in free knowledge. 

Let me briefly explain why I think this way. 

We are all aware that while developing technology makes many things easier, it also makes many things more difficult. We cannot be sure whether a piece of news we encounter on the internet is true or not. We are already exposed to so many messages like a bombardment that the importance of many news items flies away in the face of the allure of another message that appears before us. When we read commentaries on certain events, we immediately agree with the writers because they share our views, but we do not ponder much on "what is the truth of the matter?" We cannot find the time to wonder if there are different thoughts as well. This situation creates a comfort zone for us and brings us face-to-face with a phenomenon we define with the concept of an "echo chamber." If we happen to encounter different views, the lynch culture kicks in and we condemn opposing views. This concept, which has an important place in communication studies, media, and social sciences, refers to environments where individuals only encounter information and ideas that confirm their existing beliefs and views, and are not exposed to alternative views and information. Echo chambers are formed due to people's online and offline social networks and media consumption habits, and today they are places where ignorance breeds like mushrooms. 

If you find that you are constantly watching the same TV channels, reading the same news reporters and columnists, and that when you correspond with people in your WhatsApp groups about a piece of news, you always agree and all together vent your anger at those with different views, it means you are creating this comfort zone for yourself without realizing it. 

The most prominent of the consequences of this situation is polarization. It causes a decrease in understanding and empathy between different groups. This leads to social and political polarization. Another consequence is misinformation. False information or disinformation spreads rapidly in echo chambers because verification mechanisms are weak. Perhaps the most prominent of the results is the decline in critical thinking. As long as people do not find the opportunity to hear opposing views and criticisms, their critical thinking skills weaken.

Today, the most difficult thing is to reach the truth, that is, accurate, complete, and timely information. Because others are deciding what we need, what we should buy, and who we should vote for by using various marketing and political propaganda methods and algorithms. 

The relationship between echo chambers, algorithms, and perception management is of great importance in today's multi-channel communication environment in terms of how people access information and how their views are shaped. While algorithms support the formation of echo chambers by presenting content according to people's interests, perception management strategies are applied more effectively in these environments to steer people's preferences and decisions. It prevents them from acting with a free mind and a free conscience. This situation is very effective in increasing social polarization. It spreads misinformation and weakens the ability for critical thinking. For this reason, it is very important for people to have access to different information sources and to evaluate various perspectives.

Therefore, the path to having a free mind and a free conscience primarily passes through having free wisdom. I also describe this as accessing knowledge freely without any restrictions. If we can reach accurate and complete information in a timely manner, it may be possible for us to make decisions with our free minds and free consciences without being exposed to echo chambers, algorithms, and perception management. 

Educators, while raising students, must inform them not only about how to reach accurate, complete, and full information, but also about how to obtain information from various media sources representing different perspectives, how to participate in open and constructive discussions with people of different views to help them question their own beliefs and gain a broad perspective, and how to understand how the content recommendation algorithms of social media and other platforms work to help them expand their own knowledge base. 

Educators who raise generations with free wisdom provide support for them to make decisions with free minds and free consciences. Thus, they contribute to the sovereignty and participation of the people against ignorance and despotism, to democratic values and the rule of law, and to justice and social peace.