Deviations of Thought - Lead Article (Issue 168)

In "Deviations of Thought," Fethullah Gulen offers a sobering diagnosis of a society that has, over time, "lost altitude" in human values, where shameless speech, aggressive expression, and merciless conflict flatten even the most innocent intentions. As criticism becomes a reflex and destruction a habit, trust erodes, sacred values are trampled, and public life turns into a restless arena where ideas rarely mature into renewal. Gulen argues that no meaningful advancement, whether cultural, intellectual, or civic, can arise from minds captive to impropriety and hearts impoverished of conscience.

Tracing this decline, the article examines how modern people may possess unprecedented technological means yet remain strikingly shallow in judgment and unstable in will. Gulen contrasts the confused volatility of our era with the clarity and depth, however misdirected, found in earlier figures of history, suggesting that today's crisis is not a shortage of information but a fragmentation of moral and metaphysical grounding. He warns that societies trapped in recurring political, economic, and administrative "vicious circles" will keep revolving around ego and ideology, socialism, capitalism, liberalism, unless they name the true causes of the dysfunction.

The essay ultimately turns toward a restorative path: a coherent moral system rooted in sound belief, authentic freedom, and responsibility, elements inseparable from metaphysical reflection. Having exhausted "borrowed ideas" and dimmed inherited sources of spiritual vitality, Gulen calls for a renewed orientation toward truth, science, and deeper thought through an otherworldly philosophy of life, one grounded in Prophethood and in a living awareness of God, the universe, and the human being.

To read, reflect, and explore more, visit www.fountainmagazine.com.

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