Moral degradation: An ugly portrait of our society

Moral degradation: An ugly portrait of our society

Setiono, Contributor, Jakarta

Robohnya Moral Kami (The Degradation of Our Morals)
Yayasan Obor Indonesia, 2005, pp 117

Amid the seemingly never-ending crises in Indonesia, we are
facing the most serious social ailment: the degradation of
morality. Moral degradation appears in every sphere of life --
politics, economics, education, law and many others. It has
become a general phenomenon. So ubiquitous is this ailment that
we are no longer even cognizant of it.

Corruption continues unabated, unjust treatment of minorities
dominates the current government, weak law enforcement clouds the
Supreme Court, illegal logging operations backed by high-ranking
officials are thriving, the selling of forged diplomas is not
uncommon at educational institutions and blue-collar crime is
increasing.

Such crimes are committed by, as Soenjono Dardjowidjojo calls
them, the zealots of Machiavelli. In their actions, they have
only one thought: the end justifies the means.

Inspired by the writing of A.A Navis in Robohnya Surau Kami
(The Falling Down of Our Small Mosque), Soenjono, who teaches
linguistics at Atma Jaya University in Jakarta, wrote Robohnya
Moral Kami. This 117 page book, which is actually a collection of
Soenjono's articles from newspapers, covers issues related to our
ailing society.

The article Hobby Mencari Kambing Hitam (Eager to Find a
Scapegoat), Soenjono compares the mature political life in the
U.S. with that in Indonesia. He looks at the cases that
threatened the political careers of former U.S. presidents
Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.

He compares the political elite in this country, who are eager
to find fault, scapegoat and fight with each other, to
televisions programs such as Angling Dharma, Jaka Tarub and
Dendam Nyi Pelet, all which depict such revengefulness.

Using information from reliable sources, Soenjono wrote Potret
Wakil Rakyat Kita" (A Portrait of Our Representatives), revealing
the tarnished image of our representatives in the People's
Consultative Assembly and the House of Representatives, who
justify the corruption and bribery among its members, as well as
the use of forged diplomas.

To further illustrate the shameful deeds that have become
common in our society, Soenjono wrote Bangsa Superlative
(Superlative Nation). Indonesia is notoriously superior for bad
things (e.g. corruption and collusion).

The question that deserves our attention is: Where do we go
from her to help future generations build a strong moral
foundation?

One may seek the solution in education. However, Soenjono
cautiously warns that education is of no guarantee since it has
become fertile ground for the seeds of immorality. The manut lan
piturut (to follow and to agree) philosophy that is deeply rooted
in our educational system helps contribute to the nation's moral
deterioration. The practice of plagiarism is common in the
country and is one of the results of this philosophy.

Worst is what Soenjono calls "penyamunan di bidang pendidkan"
(the burglarizing of education), where fake institutions openly
sell doctorates and offer professorship promotions to those who
are interested.

Since moral degradation is everywhere and is seemingly not
bounded by time or space, it is like we have entered a vicious
cycle.

Robohnya Moral Kami differs from other books on morality. The
book is not prescriptive or normative in the sense of discussing
theories on ethics, morality and the like. Rather, it is
descriptive and illustrative.

The ideas expressed are mostly the result of Soenjono's
reflections on what he witnesses in his daily life. Thus, every
topic covered in the book is illustrated with lucid, though
cynical, examples.

However, not all of the topics in the book are related to
morality. Some articles, such as Disiplin Nasional: Darimana
Mulainya? (National Discipline: Where Should We Begin?) and Sisi
Lain Lalu Lintas Kita (Another Aspect of Our Traffic), are in
fact closely related to our conduct and etiquette. It is at this
juncture that Soenjono seems to have mixed up ethics, which deals
with the principles of morality, and etiquette, which is
concerned with the way people behave, or should behave.

Despite the fact that many of the examples in the book portray
the misdeeds of our political elite and bureaucrats, reading it
can help us reflect on what we ourselves, as a populace, have
done in the past and what we are doing in the present.