UI Professor: Javanese Textology a Key Pillar in Cultural Revitalisation
Depok (ANTARA) - Prof. Darmoko, a permanent professor at Universitas Indonesia (UI) in the branch of ancient Javanese literature philology at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), stated that Javanese textology serves as an important pillar in cultural revitalisation.
“Textology, as a discipline that studies the history, authenticity, and variants of texts, plays a crucial role in nation-building through the preservation of noble values, the instillation of empathy, and the strengthening of cultural identity,” said Darmoko during his inauguration as a professor in Depok on Monday.
Darmoko stressed the importance of revitalising ancient manuscripts to keep them relevant amid evolving times through academic studies, form transformations, and adaptations to new media.
“By studying and presenting literary texts accurately, textology facilitates the internalisation of morals, history, and local wisdom that shape a civilised and characterful national personality,” he stated.
Textology, in its position, is a branch of philology focused on the study of the history and content of ancient manuscript texts, distinct from codicology, which examines the physical aspects of manuscripts.
In textology, researchers investigate the history of texts; changes over time; copying errors; as well as the cultural values, norms, and ideas of past societies contained within them.
Darmoko has developed an approach to Javanese textology that is not only oriented towards conventional classical studies but also connects ancient texts with modern social, political, and cultural issues through reception, transformation, and adaptation.
Furthermore, Javanese textology also has a strategic role in building a bridge between tradition and modernity.
Through critical analysis of ancient manuscripts, textology not only saves cultural heritage from extinction but also opens space for reinterpreting local values in a global context.
Thus, textology becomes a means to strengthen national cultural identity while enriching humanist scholarly discourse, making ancient Javanese literature relevant as a source of inspiration, ethics, and social reflection for contemporary society.