As much morality as law; as much law as democracy (I)

We are practically living and breathing issues of morality and law/judiciary. There is no doubt that the prevailing view among those who are unhappy with the current state of affairs—myself included—is that once elections are held and the leadership changes, we will find our way to smoother waters. However, there is a very important issue that our side chooses to ignore. So, how did we end up here? I feel as though you might already suspect my answer. 

Just as I was about to start by defining the terms, a memory came to mind. It was shortly after the September 12 coup. These were the days crowned by my prestigious university—the oldest and most deep-rooted university in my country, Istanbul University—awarding an honorary law degree to Kenan Evren. Posters had been hung in the hospital, and the dean's office had made a high-priority announcement. A colonel was going to give a lecture at Cerrahpaşa titled 'The Geopolitical Position of Turkey.' I had immediately raised a cry in my own way. I was absolutely not going to go and listen. I did not refrain from announcing my heroism (!) to those around me. 

It was 5-10 minutes before the meeting, which was to be held in the large amphitheater of the surgery department, when my mentor and family friend, the late Prof. Kadri Kahraman, rushed into my office. 'Hasan, I heard that you decided not to attend the meeting and have been telling everyone about it. Stop the arrogance; we are going immediately.' I could not refuse Kadri Hoca. 

The amphitheater was packed. The professors sitting in the front rows had even donned their robes, fitting for the atmosphere of the day. We had found a spot standing at the very back of the amphitheater. Those who saw Kadri Hoca standing were gesturing for him to sit, while simultaneously indicating with hand signals that there was only room for one person. 

Then, the esteemed speaker sauntered into the hall. Those in the front rows immediately jumped to their feet. The back rows followed suit. As I mentioned just now, we, thankfully, were already standing. The colonel gestured for everyone to sit and began to speak. 'The word geopolitics is composed of the words geological and political.' Suddenly, I felt Kadri Hoca gently nudge me. He was pointing to the door with his eyes. My mentor and I quietly slipped away. 

In our language, there is also the word 'ethics,' which is used interchangeably, similarly, or differently from the word 'morality' depending on the situation. Years ago, a Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) made a very concise statement to emphasize this distinction; in response to those criticizing him over a financial matter, he said, 'I may have acted unethically, but I never acted immorally,' effectively silencing his critics.  

The Turkish Language Association (TDK) provides two nouns as the definition for the word morality (https://sozluk.gov.tr):

 1. The forms of behavior and rules that individuals in a society are obliged to follow; ethics; morality. 2. Habits.

The same TDK, this time for the word 'ethic', provides: 

1. The science of morality.

2. The set of behaviors that parties in various professions must follow or avoid.

3. Moral.

It provides these definitions.

As can be seen, the TDK has also added an adjective to the definition of the word 'ethic' that carries the quality of being in accordance with morality.   

Another source on the subject is the Ethics Guide prepared by the Turkish Language Association (TDK) specifically for public officials (https://sozluk.gov.tr). In this 61-page guide, the word 'morality' (ahlak) appears only four times, and all four instances are used in the introduction within the same sentence to define the word 'ethics' (etik). The current view, shared by our prominent philosophy professors, is that the word 'ethics,' derived from the Greek word 'ethos,' represents a field of supreme values that regulates how people should interact with one another and with nature. In this context, there are ethics specific to professions. For example, the ethical values of a physician and a lawyer may, in many cases, differ according to some. Morality, on the other hand, is the quantitative and qualitative expression of adherence to these values in daily life. Our renowned philosopher Prof. Kuçuradi even went further, emphasizing that the word 'morality' should always be plural. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pq_TnI-RRU). In other words, according to her, there is no such thing as 'morality,' but rather 'moralities'.        

What I observe with astonishment in this ethics-morality distinction is that the origin of the word 'morality' has not been given sufficient importance. In Arabic, 'ahlak' (morality) is the plural of the word 'hulk,' which means character or temperament. According to Islam, the Creator (Halik), while creating mankind with physical features, also bestowed upon them a set of good traits, or in other words, 'hulk.' 'Ahlak' is the plural of this 'hulk.' Regardless of our religious views, I cannot find a more sublime and concise expression of the most infallible rule of morality—and ethics, which I consider synonymous—than valuing a human being simply because they are human. 

A similar debate to the ethics-morality discussion I mentioned exists in English as well. The reason for this also stems from the difference between Greek and Latin. As mentioned above, the Greek equivalent of character is 'ethos,' while the Latin equivalent is 'mores.' Consequently, in English, unethical behavior can be called 'unethical' or 'immoral.' However, there is a uniqueness here that might upset those who admire everything foreign. In this language, 'unethical' is generally used in situations where we would use 'ahlaksız' (immoral/unethical), while 'morality' is a more dominant concept of supreme values in English, which we refer to as 'ethics.' Don't even ask. I truly do not know how much this inconsistency I have touched upon affects our reputation, which we value so highly, in the eyes of foreigners.  

At the beginning of my article, I promised to share with you how we arrived at these days. Look at how much I have troubled you just by saying 'morality.' Stubbornly, I will talk a little more about morality first, and then I will move on to law and democracy.