Deconstructing
Indonesia

To understand the idea of Indonesia, we must first begin to grapple with nationalism. We start with Benedict Anderson's argument that far from being a given, nations are communities that must be imagined into existence.

Dutch rule as well as a rapidly globalizing world led to the birth of a new elite caught between multiple worlds, fraught with tensions of unbelonging that propelled these individuals to imagine a new kind of identity. To understand this, we'll enlist as our psychological guides some of the most eloquent figures of the period – Soewardi Soerjaningrat and R. A. Kartini – as well as two giants of Indonesian literature: Marah Rusli, and Pramoedya Ananta Toer.

We begin to tease out the idea of Indonesia by engaging with its clearest and most forceful champion and articulator: Sukarno. Dragged in front of a Dutch court, he embarks on his landmark defense – not just of himself – but as the spokesperson of a people beggared by colonial rule. This defense – Indonesia's gugatan – begins with an indictment of the Dutch colonial system, not just as a system of domination, but of capitalist extraction. This story of extraction begins with a few spice-producing islands in Maluku, as well as one of the first corporations in human history: the Dutch VOC.

At the close of the 18th century, two revolutions rippled through Europe. One – explosive and dramatic – began in France, another – slow-moving but seismic – began with textile looms and steam pumps in England. These twin revolutions did not stop in Europe, but gradually made their way to foreign shores as well. In this discussion with Professor Peter Carey, we will explore how Javanese society reacted to this foreign storm, a reaction that found its most strident champion in a certain Prince Diponegoro.

Sukarno's indictment of Dutch capitalist exploitation continues with the consolidation of Dutch rule over the East Indies. As new economic demands and pressures grew with the development of global capitalism, so did the intensification of Dutch colonial interference as it tried to shape Indies society into an instrument for its own economic ends. To understand this, we'll be looking at cultuurstelsel and the liberal period of Dutch colonial rule through the analytical lenses of two thinkers: Karl Polanyi and Syed Hussein Alatas. In the process, we learn that the Dutch colonial project was a system of market and moral coercion.

Sukarno's defense culminates in a manifesto for Indonesian nationhood and independence. Far from being a mere rejection of Dutch rule, this was also an active attempt to create a genuinely new sense of identity. We'll explore the contours of this new identity by exploring the latter portions of Sukarno's defense speech, as well as his other speeches and writings.

So far, we have focused on an Indonesia conceptualized by its elite, of that class that "dreamt and prayed in Dutch." But what of the vast majority of Indonesians that didn't? That great mass of Sukarno's Kromos and Marhaens? In what language did this radically different world express itself in? How did it interact with the Sukarnos and Hattas of the world? How did they mobilize for that pivotal moment of genesis, the National Revolution itself? As we move from Indonesia as a purely intellectual to an actual political creation, we must expand our sights from a narrow class of intellectuals and elites to the great mass of everyday, ordinary Indonesians.

What is revolution? Is it an act of heroic rebirth where the demons of the past are exorcised by the angels of the new, or a raging fire that devours everything in its path? These debates will come to the fore as we delve deeper into the National Revolution and the pent-up energy of the pemuda is unleashed into the open, a debate that we will follow through the clashing writings of two giants of the revolution: Sutan Sjahrir and Tan Malaka.

Nationalism is an inherently unifying and totalizing force. But what happens when other identities begin to encroach on certain visions of what it means to be Indonesian? Today we'll explore one of the distant frontiers of Indonesian identity and those who inhabit that uneasy space: its Chinese minority. We'll be doing this through the biographical lens of one of Indonesia's most colorful historians: Onghokham.

Indigeneity in Indonesia is a complex and contested concept, shaped by colonial legacies, state policies, and contemporary movements. This session explores the historical evolution of indigenous identity, the role of adat (customary law), and the tensions between traditional practices and modern nation-building. We examine how indigenous communities navigate the relationship between colonial classifications, state recognition, and self-determination.

Indigenous education systems embody sophisticated understandings of ecological relationships, spiritual dimensions, and collective well-being. This session explores how indigenous pedagogies centered on sacred relationships with water, land, and community offer alternatives to colonial education models. We examine frameworks for incorporating indigenous cosmologies into contemporary education while honoring the wisdom of indigenous communities in environmental stewardship and social harmony.

Guest Speaker: Dr.phil. Geger Riyanto from Universitas Indonesia.