Within the Dynamic Kemalist State Model, the “2. Human and Society Understanding” has not yet been developed,merely indicated as a next stage heading. For this reason, the following section is the theoretical framework I developed to act as its continuation without disrupting the logic of the 10 axioms in the document.
2. Human and Society Understanding
We can establish the human and society understanding of the Dynamic Kemalist ideology with the following fundamental proposition:
The human is a free citizen possessing reason and the capacity to learn; society is a dynamic whole formed by equal citizens around a common history, a common homeland, common institutions, and a common will for the future.
In this understanding, the human is neither erased in the face of the state, nor is society reduced to a mere sum of completely independent individuals.
The principles of “equal citizenship, science, education, merit, common political belonging, and continuous modernization” in the document already form the foundation of such a human model.
2.1. Human: Citizen, not subject
The first distinction must be made here:
Subject (Tebaa) → is the object of authority. Citizen (Yurttaş) → is the subject (active agent) of the Republic.
In the national sovereignty axiom in the document, the source of political sovereignty is defined as the nation, and it is stated that no person, dynasty, class, or religious authority can rise above the will of the nation. The Republic is also described as the institutionalized form of national sovereignty.
Therefore, in our model, the individual:
- is not someone who blindly obeys the state,
- is not a subject of traditional authorities,
- is not defined by innate statuses,
- is a citizen of the Republic with rights and responsibilities.
An important conclusion emerges from this: The state does not produce the citizen; the common political will of the citizens legitimizes the state.
2.2. Human nature: Not fixed, but developable
This model does not view the human as an unchanging and completed entity.
The human: can develop within the process of: education → knowledge → experience → critique → relearning
This point is directly compatible with the Education and Merit Axiom in the document.
The document states that the true capital of the Republic is qualified human power, and the relationship is established as follows: Education → Human capital → Science → Technology → Production → Welfare
If we expand this in terms of human theory, we obtain: Individual₀ → Education → Reason → Knowledge → Skill → Production → Social contribution → Individual₁
Here, Individual₁ is the more developed form of the initial person.
Therefore, from the perspective of Dynamic Kemalism, education is not merely a system for acquiring a profession. At the same time, it is a mechanism for creating free citizens.
2.3. Rational human, but not infallible human
It would be incorrect to build the Kemalist human model on a “completely rational human.”
Humans can make mistakes. They can believe in false information. They can be influenced by social habits.
The primary Kemalist characteristic is not human infallibility, but: The capacity to correct one’s mistakes through reason,science, experience, and critique.
This is the application of the Scientific Reality Axiom in the document to the individual level. The document states that public policies should be evaluated not according to dogma but based on observation, reason, scientific methods, and results, and that policy must be re-examined when the data changes.
The mechanism we established for the state can also be applied to the individual: Knowledge → Experience → Result → Critique → Correction ↺
Thus, revolutionism (reformism) becomes the principle not only of state institutions but also of the mental development of the human.
2.4. Freedom and responsibility are considered together
In the model, a free human does not mean a limitless individual.
The human is a citizen who is: free + bound by law + responsible to society.
Here, two extremes are avoided:
Extreme individualism: “There is no social responsibility other than the individual’s own interest.”
Extreme collectivism: “The individual has no value; only the society or the state is important.”
The Dynamic Kemalist approach establishes the triad of: Free individual + strong citizenship + public responsibility.
In other words, the individual is free, but also recognizes the equal freedom of other citizens who make up the Republic.
2.5. Equality: Not equality of outcome, but correction of starting conditions
Here we make an important distinction.
The Dynamic Kemalist understanding of society: does not rely on the claim that “everyone should have the same income.”
In the Populism and Social Justice section of the document, the goal is explicitly stated not as “making everyone economically identical,” but as reducing extreme inequality in starting conditions. Additionally, equal opportunity in education, health, social support, and opportunities is emphasized.
Therefore: Legal equality + equality of opportunity + merit must work together.
We can construct it like this: Innate privilege ↓ Access to education ↑ Equality of opportunity ↑ Merit ↑ Social mobility ↑
Here, a crucial connection emerges between Populism and Merit. Populism makes the starting conditions of the race fair.Merit ties progress to ability, education, effort, and success.
The document also states that the determinants of upward social mobility should not be family, wealth, or privilege, but education, ability, hard work, and success.
2.6. Understanding of society: Not classlessness, but common citizenship
The Dynamic Kemalist model accepts that different economic groups, professions, lifestyles, and thoughts can exist within society.
But none of these have an innate or absolute right to political sovereignty over the state.
The fundamental political status is: citizenship, before being a worker, boss, farmer, civil servant, rich, or poor.
Thus, society is conceived as: different individuals + different social segments + equal citizenship + common Republic.
For this reason, rather than destroying social differences, Populism establishes a common citizenship plane over them.
2.7. Understanding of the nation
Here, human theory connects to society theory.
In the Citizenship-Based Nationalism Axiom in the document, the nation is defined as: the entirety of citizens possessing a common political belonging and a common will for the future. Nationalism is associated with national unity,independence, a common homeland, and a consciousness of common responsibility rather than exclusionism.
Therefore, in our model: Nation = is not merely a bloodline.
The broader structure can be thought of as: Common homeland + common citizenship + common political institutions + consciousness of common history + common will for the future.
Thus, nationalism and populism do not conflict: Nationalism → ensures common belonging Populism → ensures equality within that belonging.
When we detach these two from each other, the system breaks down.
2.8. Secular human and freedom of conscience
The Dynamic Kemalist human model does not abolish the realm of human belief.
On the contrary, the document adopts the principle: “Belief is the individual’s domain of freedom.” and envisions that the state must protect the equality of citizenship in the face of different beliefs and non-belief.
Therefore, secularism: is not an imposition of irreligion.
In terms of the model, secularism means: Conscience belongs to the individual → law belongs to everyone.
The individual can hold any belief they want, or they can hold no belief at all.
However, the common language of the state’s decision-making mechanism must be: reason + science + secular law. This framework forms the basis of the Secularism and Reason Axiom in the document.
2.9. State-human relationship
Here we arrive at one of the critical points of the theory.
The state is not the master of the individual. But the state is not merely a night watchman either.
The fundamental duty of the state is to build the infrastructure where the citizen’s capacity can develop: law + security + education + health + science + economic infrastructure + equality of opportunity
The state should not live on behalf of the individual. It should create the conditions under which the individual can live,produce, and develop.
For this reason, it is more accurate to establish the relationship not as: State → strong human but as a two-way flow:Republic institutions ⇄ strong citizen ⇄ strong society
2.10. Society is not static
Perhaps the most original aspect of the document can be transferred to social theory here.
In the document, Kemalism is established as: “unchanging fundamental goals + methods that change according to conditions” and Revolutionism is transformed into the recalibration mechanism for the other principles.
If we apply the same logic to society, we obtain: Society(t) → change → new problems → scientific analysis → institutional adaptation → Society(t+1)
Therefore, the ideal Kemalist society is not a society that preserves the societal form of a specific historical period forever.It is a society capable of renewing itself while preserving its own fundamental values.
This is a highly important distinction.
The Unchanging: Republic + independence + sovereignty + secularism + equal citizenship + science
The Changeable: institutions + educational methods + economic tools + technology policies + social policy tools
2.11. The main equation of the human and society model
If we combine the entire system into a single flow:
Free individual ↓ Scientific education ↓ Rational and critical citizen ↓ Equal citizenship ↓ Merit ↓ Productive society ↓ Common national belonging ↓ Strong Republic ↓ Independence ↓ Modernization ↓ Re-education and institutional recalibration ↺
Thus, a feedback-loop society model emerges rather than a linear one.
The state cycle throughout the document establishes a similar feedback relationship among nation, sovereignty, Republic and law, science and secularism, education and merit, production and technology, economic independence, social welfare,and recalibration.
Short theoretical formula
I believe the main axiom of the “2. Human and Society Understanding” section within the Dynamic Kemalist State Model should be this sentence:
The human is an equal citizen of the Republic capable of developing themselves through reason, education, and freedom.Society, on the other hand, is the dynamic whole formed by these free and equal citizens with a common homeland,common law, solidarity, production, and a common will for the future. The duty of the state is not to turn the individual into a subject to be ruled, but to establish the legal, scientific, educational, and economic conditions that will develop the capacity of the free citizen.
If we establish it this way, Article 2 will also form a solid foundation for the subsequent “3. Theory of State”: we will have defined first what the human is, then how society is formed, and finally why the state exists for this human and society and what its limits should be.