This book presents the first English translation of Ali Sedad Bey’s pioneering 1883 treatise on thermodynamics, atomism and the emerging scientific worldview of the late Ottoman Empire. It represents a cornerstone in the intersection of 19th-century scientific advancements and Islamic philosophical thought. Originally written in Ottoman Turkish, it provides an unparalleled glimpse into the early introduction of thermodynamics, atomism, and Darwin's theory of natural selection to the Ottoman intellectual sphere. By exploring the scientific principles that dominated European thought and comparing them with Ashʿarite' metaphysics, Ali Sedad offers a detailed presentation and critical evaluation of these theories, underlining the compatibility between modern science and Islamic teachings. This book is not only a historical document but also a profound philosophical discourse on the nature of scientific inquiry and its metaphysical underpinnings.

This edition includes a substantial introductory essay situating Ali Sedad within nineteenth‑century intellectual networks and scientific debates, and a comprehensive glossary of technical, theological, and philosophical terminology. Reclaiming a foundational but long‑overlooked text, this volume offers scholars of Islamic intellectual history, history of science, and science‑religion studies a rare window into how global scientific ideas were interpreted, contested, and transformed in a non‑Western context.

Nazif Muhtaroğlu is Research Scholar in the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University and an Associate Professor of Philosophy.