Marxism, banned during New Order era, must be studied carefully

Marxism, banned during New Order era, must be studied carefully

Pemikiran Karl Marx: Dari Sosialisme Utopis ke Perselisihan
Revisionisme (Karl Marx's Thoughts -- From Utopian Socialism to
Disputes Over Revisionism); By Prof. Dr. Franz Magnis-Suseno, SJ;
PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Jakarta 1999; 284 pages

JAKARTA (JP): During the New Order era the name Karl Marx and
his teachings did not see the light of day here. Marxism was
considered identical to communism, a forbidden ideology in
Indonesia. Hence the ban on spreading Marxism among the general
public. Marxism was only allowed to be studied in strict academic
situations.

In the present era of reform, things have changed. Minister of
Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono even said on one occasion
he did not object to the more open study of Marxism. This climate
of openness has borne an unexpected fruit: the minister's
statement smashed the myth that communism and Marxism are latent
dangers and horrible ghosts. Throughout its rule, the New Order
built up this myth and indoctrinated it among the general public.

The historical journey of the New Order was fraught with
artificial "ghosts", including, of course, the ghosts of Marxism
and communism. At this point, however, one may critically ask
whether Marxism is really horrifying.

Which is more horrible: Marxism itself or the people who
arbitrarily interpreted this theory? And what is the actual
influence Marxism has had on Indonesian society?

Talking about Marxism is talking about philosophy; it is a
world full of paradox. Doubt has certainty, while certainty
itself may raise doubt. There is untruth in truth and there is
blackness in white.

Communism, which is based on an interpretation of Marxism, has
collapsed. This is a historical fact. The Soviet Union has ceased
to exist. Communist countries have found themselves in great
difficulty reordering their economies. Nevertheless, Marxism as
teaching and social thought continues to have influence.

Why is Marxism still significant and influential in society?
There are some factors which enable Marxism to maintain its role
in the arena of social reflection.

First, Karl Marx's thoughts successfully laid down the
idealism which must be fought for in any society in which the
sociopolitical structure is still dominated by oppression. So,
Marxism eloquently and loudly speaks to social systems in which
ethical and social relations are yet in good order. On the one
hand, Karl Marx is a reliable philosopher. On the other hand, his
thoughts may effectively inspire social change.

Second, the approach suggested by Karl Marx's thoughts, which
are dialectic and based on conflict, may unmask ideological
taboos which have kept the public ignorant. Marx's critical
philosophical capacity paves the way toward enlightenment
regarding how a social structure and the community should
interact.

Finally, Marx's socioeconomic thoughts and reflections, though
short on terms of morality, are loaded with ethical content and
sociomoral inspiration. Although Marx's writings are secular in
nature and tend to be materialistic-deterministic, they never
fail to have their humanist appeal. It is this appeal that is one
of the factors capable of serving to counter the brutality and
cruelty of capitalism.

These three factors constitute the positive points in all of
Marx's works and reflections. It is these points that has made
Marx different from Max Weber and Emile Durkheim. It is also
these points that make Marx more sophisticated and practical than
John Rawls or noted philosopher Jurgen Habermas.

Although the complexity of Marx's thoughts are rich and
brilliant, they still leave a mystery that calls for a profound
study.

Marx experienced many failures in his life, so he actually
encountered "emotional problems". One of his children, a
daughter, died of starvation and his wife was known to frequently
let out a hysterical shout. Marx was authoritarian and sarcastic
in his personality, and his life depended on the mercy of his
friend Engels. When Marx died, his funeral was attended by only
eight people (pp. 54-55). Was Marx intelligent enough to conceal
his emotional problems? If yes, should we say that Marx's
brilliant thoughts came from someone with a disturbed emotional
life?

Marx's works are generally difficult to understand. Of the
many books credited to him, 99 percent of the reviews were
written by Marx himself. Did Marx intentionally make his works
difficult to understand so his "prophetic predictions and
messages" would continue to exist? Or, perhaps, he intentionally
made his works difficult so they would be open to various
interpretations, allowing them to remain current throughout the
ages.

This 284-page book by Franz Magnis-Suseno flexibly and
straightforwardly describes Marx's train of thought and
reflections, which are generally known to be difficult to
understand. The language used is very simple, so practically
anybody may try to understand Marx's thoughts, or at least have a
taste of his social reflections.

It is interesting to note the book was written with an
approach for which Marx had a great penchant, namely the
conflictual approach. Using this approach, the writer describes
Marx's thoughts and then presents his critical review of these
thoughts.

As a result, this book goes over Marx's thoughts in great
detail, without any ideological burdens. The author does not see
Marx and Marxism through emotional and fanatical eyes, but
employs rationality in comprehending Marx and his teachings.

A hidden message of this book is that if you wish to learn
about Marx and Marxism, you must not turn him into a cult object
or make a myth out of him. Marxism must be studied critically.
Only in this way can Marxism and its analytical knife present the
complex sides of society.

Marx also successfully convinced us that economy has an
unusual impact on political life and the development of a system
of social values, along with the society's understanding of these
matters. Be careful; if you try to turn Marx into a myth, it will
leave the social system rotting.

It is no exaggeration to say that this book is a monumental
work by Frans Magnis-Suseno, a German clergyman and philosopher
who has long dealt with Marxism. This book may serve as a
standpoint for our understanding of Marxism; it will not leave
you in ignorance. On the other hand, it is hoped this book will
expose the ignorance of society and the New Order's practice of
keeping the people in ignorance, with its invariable statement
that Marxism is "horrible".

-- AG Eka Wenats Wuryanta

The writer is an alumnus of Driyarkara Institute of
Philosophy and a lecturer at the Ethics Development Center at
Atma Jaya University in Jakarta.