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.