Can Indonesian Politics Learn Something from Kant?

Magnis-Suseno, Franz (2024) Can Indonesian Politics Learn Something from Kant? In: Peringatan 300 Tahun Immanuel Kant, April 22, 2024, Goethe-Institut Jakarta. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

This presentation asks whether Indonesian politics can learn something from the political ethics of Immanuel Kant. It first recalls Kant's two fundamental principles: "peace thru law" and his "categorical imperative": that human beings must never be treated as mere means to some end. It then reflects on Indonesia's long march to becoming a full-fledged democracy based on respect for human rights, a democracy that now is in crisis. The presentation then returns to the fact, that democracy and human rights were already controversial during the discussions in preparation of Indonesia's independence in 1945. Trying to understand this reluctance the presentation looks into their cultural background, specifically into Javanese ethics of harmony and conceptions of power. This shows that Kant's ethics can, indeed, give a decisive prick to Indonesian political ethics, fortifying it against sliding back into an unethical pragmatism. On the other hand, a reflection on traditional Javanese ethics can even strengthen the foundation Kant gave to his categorical imperative.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Speech)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) A General Works > B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Divisions:	Program Pascasarjana > Program Pascasarjana Filsafat
Depositing User:	ThM .-
Date Deposited:	08 Jul 2026 05:23
Last Modified:	08 Jul 2026 05:23
URI:	http://repo.driyarkara.ac.id/id/eprint/2629

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