Rethinking politics in an age of legitimacy crisis

Politics is one of the fundamental activities at the center of societies’ efforts to sustain their existence. While the human instinct for survival compels individuals to live together, the question of how they will live together naturally brings politics to the forefront. For this reason, much of public debate – directly or indirectly – takes shape around politics. The nature of politics, its purpose, its source of legitimacy and whether it possesses an autonomous domain are questions as old as human history itself. As conceptions of existence evolve, the meaning of politics inevitably changes as well. Within this framework, significant works on political thought have been produced in our intellectual tradition, establishing a continuous platform of discussion and generating a rich body of knowledge about the role of politics within society. As modern civilization has transformed all areas of life according to its own language and logic, politics has likewise received its share of this transformation and continues to do so. Given the profound influence politics exerts on daily life, it becomes necessary to revisit its origins, its meaning, and its societal aims. The Teklif magazine, which examines a specific topic in depth in each issue and opens it to multidimensional discussion, approaches this matter from a broad perspective in its special issue titled "Politics." While bringing the debate into the present, it also provides a platform that carries it into the future through the new questions it raises.