The history of humankind is "spiral" – a term used to reject the positivist understanding that defines history as a mere progressive phenomenon, as history itself consists of ups and downs. That means maybe in 100 or 200 years, humanity would "stop" progressing toward modern developments and demand to return to the breaking point when the borders of human ethics and values were breached. There are signs of this all over the world. From neo-medievalism to minimalism, from health tourism to the rising hatred toward modernism, several tendencies in every sphere of life are observed.
Among them, neo-medievalism is a very powerful one, as the thinkers of the movement claim humanity lost its system of values at the end of the Middle Ages and should restart from that very moment for the salvation of values. The movement says that the time spent between the end of the Middle Ages and today is a huge loss, as human values vanished into thin air. It sounds radical, doesn't it?
From time to time, many studies have been conducted to reveal evidence to support the claims of neo-medievalism. Prominent French intellectual Rene Guenon, for example, has conducted remarkable work regarding it. To understand the codes of modernism well and truly define modern man, Guenon's works, especially his books "The Crisis of the Modern World" and "East and West," are worth reading. Guenon reveals how savage people can be when they are far from heavenly values and how the modern world has taken our lives captive.
In Anatolia, looking for heirloom seeds is a trend these days. People started cultivating these varieties in the early 1900s, and today, generations later, their descendants have begun to once again look for more seeds to plant. These are quite "reactionary" developments. Why would people do this at a time when we can produce more agricultural products thanks to genetically modified organisms (GMOs)? It is naturally related to the fact that GMOs, which promise faster and more products, have no taste and are quite harmful to people's health. You cannot find flavor and health in modernism. You cannot find aesthetic pleasure other than hedonistic pleasure in it. Modernism pushes us to take action as soon as possible and to make more profit. It is very calculative – if it has enough added value, a genetically modified tomato is not a problem.
To give another example, the popularity of healthier tourism continues to grow, especially in Western countries. Holidaymakers now prefer destinations with no chemicals and the magnetic field is as low as possible. People living in metropolises have begun to spend their holidays in villages. Village tourism is also quite common in Anatolia. People who are overwhelmed by city life go to the villages to seek the natural and rest, dress like villagers and work, eat and drink like them. Or, the cittaslow (or slow cities) are preferred during holiday periods. For a long period of time, there has been a demand for İzmir's Seferihisar, one of Türkiye's cittaslow towns. This trend is inherent in human nature. Man tries to get closer to nature, truth and essence. Life in skyscrapers is unsatisfying. What could be more natural than human beings, made of organic material, wanting to spend time with the soil? This is a return-to-essence trend. It is self-seeking.
The modern age has been very insulting to the Middle Ages and classified it as the "dark period." However, time will tell. The Middle Ages will likely be remembered as a much simpler, better and "lighter" age compared to the modern age. The desire and orientation of man to seek out nature will bring the end of the modern age. This quest is, in a way, reactionary and retrograde. It is a kind of mental rebellion; this is a revolt against modern life.
However, in today's society, some circles want to equate this orientation with political movements and demonize it. However, it is not possible for this trend, that is, the search for the essence of man, to be an extension of any politics. The common point of every person, from nationalist to socialist, religious to secular, is that they exist within human nature. And the longing for the essence of humanity is a common thread in people of all political thought.
In this context, according to Sufism, humans are inherently sacred and divine. "To Allah, We (mankind) belong, and to Him is our return," as said in the 156th verse of Al-Baqarah, the second and longest chapter of the Quran. Without exception, all Islamic sects are in agreement about it. Humanity is not earthly. People have a divine origin beyond the earth. Therefore, the urge among humans to return to nature is quite natural and Islamic. In Plato's words, "Man was once a god, but he forgot." As this translation sometimes causes misunderstandings, it can also be translated as: "Man was once divine, but now he is disconnected from the world." This understanding of Plato is also a reminder of the artificial life order we live in today. Today, nature, humanity and life are melting away in a lifestyle that is desecrated. And in an environment where this sanctity is disregarded, we see notions such as haram and halal-like ethics disappear. However, according to the belief of Sufism, humanity is nothing without these values. People have to be "deified." Of course, this "deification" is not in a despotic sense, but in a moral sense. This is where we come across the term "behaving with the morality of Allah (God)."
When we classify this understanding as "medieval values," it is quite ideal and rational to return to "the Middle Age once again" under the movement of neo-medievalism. Otherwise, as pessimistic scenarios suggest, we will discuss a dystopian future – the Islamic belief rejects this entirely.
