The scientific life, in general, and intellectual sciences, in particular, during the Ottoman era, were characterized by stagnation compared to the achievements of 15th-century scholars. This was due to the educational policy of the Ottoman state, which aimed to avoid interference in education and allowed it to be shaped freely by the economic and social conditions of the country. The spread of Sufism served its interests. Consequently, education was limited to traditional methods in mosques, zawiyas (religious institutions), and kuttab (elementary schools), funded by the benevolence of individuals and waqf endowments. The cognitive mindset of scholars aligned with the societal reality and the circumstances that governed education, resisting any form of innovation.This reality had a significant impact on intellectual sciences. Some sciences, like logic, were even accused of leading to heresy and atheism. Despite this, there were intellectuals in the field of intellectual sciences who gained recognition in the Maghreb and Mashriq regions, such as the encyclopedist Abdul Rahman Al-Akhderi, Abdul RazzaqIbnHamadoush, and Ahmad Ibn Al-Anabi, among others. These scholars challenged the prevailing intellectual climate in Algerian society, leading to a scientific leap forward during that period.

Ottoman policy, intellectual sciences, transmitted sciences, scholars, Ottoman Algeria.