Teoman Duralı (Şaban Teoman Duralı) is a Turkish philosopher known for his original contributions in the history of philosophy, philosophy of science, and philosophy of biology. Born on 7 February 1947 in the Kozlu district of Zonguldak, Duralı taught at various universities throughout his academic career, most notably at Istanbul University, where he conducted some of the earliest work in the philosophy of biology in Türkiye. His teaching and intellectual output have secured him a significant place in the Turkish philosophical tradition.

Teoman Duralı was born in the Kozlu district of Zonguldak as the second child of Hilda Kohlschmidt, who met and married Sabih Duralı in Germany. He spent his childhood in the region where his father worked at a power plant. He began his primary education in Çatalağzı and later continued it in Ankara.

Duralı has stated that he had little interest in school during his early years, even running away from school on the third day of first grade. His fascination with geography and maps, however, began at the age of 12 or 13 when he received a world atlas as a gift from Germany. This interest laid the foundation for the intellectual orientations that would later shape his career.

Duralı completed his secondary and high school education at TED Ankara College in 1967. Shortly after graduation, he traveled to Norway with the dream of becoming a ship captain, but soon abandoned this idea and returned to Türkiye. Inspired by his geography teacher during high school, he developed an interest in the Department of Philosophy at Istanbul University and graduated from it in 1973.

^{Teoman Duralı – Çemişgezek, January 1983 (}Flickr⁾

Duralı married Piyeret Hanım, whom he met in France. They have two children, one daughter and one son. He fulfilled his military service in 1976 as a junior artillery officer in Polatlı.

^{Teoman Duralı – Türkiye – Akdeniz Ship, 1982 (}Flickr⁾

Teoman Duralı began his academic career in 1975 as an assistant at the Department of Philosophy at Istanbul University. In 1977, he completed his doctoral thesis titled The Problem of Life in Contemporary Thought and earned his doctorate. During this period, his research spanned philosophy, anthropology, and biology.

In 1982, he was appointed associate professor, and in 1988, he was promoted to full professor based on his contributions to the philosophy of biology.

Duralı’s academic activities extended beyond Türkiye. He taught, conducted research, and participated in conferences in various countries. These included:

• 1978 – Biotechnology seminars in Paris funded by a NATO scholarship
• 1985 – Lecture at Penn State University on “Kant’s A Priori Cognitive Capacity”
• 1991–1993 – Visiting faculty member at the International Islamic University of Malaysia
• 1994 and 2003 – Visiting faculty at the Department of Philosophy of Science, University of Vienna
• 1996 – Research trips to Central Asian Turkic Republics (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan) and teaching at Ahmet Yesevi University
• 2007 – Visits to Mongolia and Cuba
• 2008 – Visiting professorship at Ruhr University Bochum
• 2010 – Speech at the European Parliament

Duralı delivered numerous lectures and seminars in Türkiye and abroad on philosophy, philosophy of biology, history of science, and theories of civilization.

Teoman Duralı served at the Department of Philosophy at Istanbul University for 38 years and held the position of Head of the History of Philosophy Sub-Discipline from 1991 to 2009. From 2009 to 2015, he served as the founding dean of the Faculty of Letters and Sciences at Kırklareli University, where he established the philosophy department.

^{Teoman Duralı – Mongolia – Ulaanbaatar, 2008 (}Flickr⁾

Although Duralı’s academic work covered a broad range of topics, it centered on three main areas:

• Philosophy of biology
• Philosophy of science
• History of philosophy

Recognized as one of the earliest scholars in Türkiye to conduct systematic work in the philosophy of biology, Duralı examined issues of life, evolution, and the biological and cultural constitution of human beings within a philosophical framework.

Duralı defines culture as the totality of human creations. He identifies three fundamental elements of culture: language, religion, and craft. Through the television program “Philosophical Dialogues” broadcast on TRT 2, he brought discussions on the relationship between culture and humanity, the history of civilization, and the development of Eastern and Western intellectual traditions to a wide audience.

^{Teoman Duralı – Türkiye – Elazığ, Keban (}Flickr⁾

Duralı has produced extensive analyses of what he terms the Contemporary Anglo-Jewish Civilization, which he views as the continuation of Early Modern European civilization. His evaluations of modern capitalism, the Industrial Revolution, globalization, and Turkish modernization have sparked significant debates in Türkiye.

Duralı regards Turkish not merely as a means of communication but as a domain of thought and existence. He consistently described writing his works primarily in Turkish as a “national duty.” He frequently emphasized that language is the mirror of thought and one of the foundational pillars of culture.

^{Teoman Duralı – Mongolia – Bayan Ölgii, 2008 (}Flickr⁾

• An Introduction to the Problem of Life (1983, 1987)
• Philosophy of Biology (1992)
• Science and the Problem of Life in Aristotle (1995)
• From Early Modern European Civilization to the Contemporary Anglo-Jewish Cosmopolitan Civilization (1996)
• A New System of Philosophy-Science from the Biological Standpoint (1996)
• An Introduction to Philosophy and Science (1998)
• Contemporary Global Civilization (2000, 2003, 2006)
• What Is Philosophy-Science? (2006)
• What Is a Problem? (2006, 2011)
• Anatomy of the Age of Problems (2009)
• Spineless Turkism (2010)
• The Birth of Philosophy-Science (2011)
• Anatomy of Reason (2011)
• Kutadgubilig: Turkish Dictionary of Philosophy

• The Epic of Gilgamesh (1998)

Duralı’s articles have been published in numerous journals and periodicals, including Felsefe Arkivi, Yazı, Bilim Dergisi, Türk Kültürü, İlim ve Sanat, Kutadgubilig, Milli Kültür, Dergâh, Yeni Şafak, Turkish Daily News, NPQ Türkiye, Gerçek Hayat, and many other academic and general-interest publications.

• Turkish Philosophical Association
• International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB)
• New York Academy of Sciences
• Centro Estudios Filosoficos (Mexico)

• Turkish Writers’ Union Research Award – for Contemporary Global Civilization (2000)
• Necip Fazıl Saygı Award (2017)
• Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award (2021)

In the final years of his life, Teoman Duralı continued teaching at Istanbul University, Istanbul Medeniyet University, and Ibn Haldun University. In addition to his academic work, he participated in various television programs to share his ideas with a broad audience. Duralı underwent two surgeries as part of his cancer treatment and passed away at his home in Istanbul on 6 December 2021.

His funeral ceremony was held at the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University. After the funeral prayer at Fatih Mosque, he was buried in the family cemetery at Aşiyan Cemetery.

^{Teoman Duralı – Erzurum – Rize, 2006 (}Flickr⁾

Teoman Duralı is among the scholars in Türkiye who conducted systematic research in the philosophy of biology. His approach, which integrated philosophy and science, provided frameworks for analyzing the biological and cultural dimensions of human existence.

His teaching, the scholars he mentored, and the breadth of his work across disciplines have played a significant role in shaping the modern intellectual environment in Türkiye.