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.