we are merely consumers

8/9/2019 We Are Merely Consumers

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WeAreMerelyConsumers1IPutuTirtaAgungS

AbstractThe

aim

of

this

paper

is

to

briefly

analyze

the

development

of

economics

thought

in

Indonesia.Thispaperhighlights issuesconcerningthecountryseconomicsteachingas

wellastheoverallperformanceofitseconomists.Thepaperisdividedintofoursections

andendsupwithasectionthatismeanttobetheconclusionaswellasthesummaryof

allthewritings.Thepaperstartswithasectionthatrepositionstheoverallperformance

of Indonesian economists as MerelyCatalystsof Knowledge. It is then followedby

another three sections that try to examine the core problem affecting the overall

performance of Indonesian economists, and come upwith three connected answer,

ServilismasaResultofInitialPragmatization,TheStarvingLecturersandProfessors,

andTheirLowStockofKnowledge.

Keywords:Economics,indonesianeconomist,thedevelopmentofeconomicsthought

1ThistextwassuggestedtomebyMarthenL.nDoen(my thesissupervisor)reflectingtheentiretyoftheprevious

manuscriptofmybachelorthesis.Herecallaparticularparagraphfrompage76:

Patutlah kita akuimemang betapamenakjubkannya seluruh adegan di atas.Mimpi, citacita,maupun

nafsusegalaumat,turutmenghiasideraplangkahnya,sehinggasalahdanbenarterlihattipisdidalamnya.

Bahkan sangjawara danpecundang sebetulnya tetaplahmenjadipemenang, sebabmereka samasama

telahmenyumbangkanjerihakalbudiyangtakternilaiharganyabagitumbuhmekarnyailmuini.

Translation:

We cannot deny themagnificence of all the scenes above.Dreams, ambitions, and evenpassion of its

believers,all

beautify

its

footsteps,

so

that

right

and

wrong

turns

nearly

undistinguishable.

Even

the

championandtheloserinrealitybothbecomewinners,becausetheyequallycontributeanintellectualpiece

inthepuzzle,whichispricelessforthegrowthanddevelopmentofthisfieldofknowledge.

Inreactiontotheaboveparagraph,he thenasked,Whatabout Indonesia? Isthereaproblemsuchasthat inthis

country?Do Indonesianeconomistspossess intellectualoriginality?Arewestillmerelyconsumers,orhavewealso

madecontributionsequaltothoseofproducerstotheenhancementofeconomics?Aseriesofquestionsthatisboth

veryinterestingandyetatthesametimerisky.EspeciallyconsideringmyownbackgroundwhereIinsteadamclearly

justaconsumermyself.Beingunabletoshirkfromsuchachallenge,Ishalltrytodescribeinthistextthesituationof

EconomicscienceinIndonesia.IdedicatethistextintributetoMarthenL.nDoen.


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3/18

in1969until2008recently,theprizehasbeenwonby62oftheworldsforemostthinkers.Yet

not a single one of them has been Indonesian. Itwas insteadAmartya K. Sen from India, a

countrywhose independence came even later than Indonesias,who through his hardwork

succeeded inwinningtheprestigiousprize in1998.Furthermore,SantaLuciacantakepride in

having

produced

Sir

William

Arthur

Lewis,

who

became

the

first

man

of

color

ever

to

be

an

economicsNobellaureatein1979.Therefore,itisquiteclearatleasttemporarily,thataworld

classawardineconomicssuchastheNobelPrize,isstillmerelyadream.Thisalsoshowsthatas

of yet meager (not the absence of any) contribution of the Indonesian economists to the

development of economics itself. If this is indeed so, what then is the current position of

Indonesianeconomistsintheeyesoftheworld?Arewemerelyconsumersofknowledge?

Before rushing to answer the above questions, perhaps we should consider the

followingremarkbySriEdiSwasono5:

Memprihatinkan sekali bahwa kita menyongsong sistem ekonomi pasar bebas lebih berapi-api

daripada orang-orang Utara. Kita mempraktekkan liberalisme dan kapitalisme di sini lebih hebatdaripada di negara-negara Utara sendiri. Kita bahkan menjadi juru bicara ekonomi pasar-bebas

untuk kepentingan mereka. Kita bahkan menggadaikan pikiran dan loyalitas nasional kita pada

ide pasar-bebas. ibarat belum ditanya sudah mau, lalu kita menari atas kendang orang

lain dengan mudahnya. Tidak hanya gampang kagum atau soft, barangkali juga malah servile,

tetapi mengaku friendly atau low-profile.(Swasono, 2003 {2002}: 74-75)6

AccordingtoSriEdiSwasono,most7Indonesianeconomists(heunsurprisinglyidentifieshimself

with the radical reformist minority) are mere marketers (or mediators) of economics.

Furthermore, due to his awareness and concern towards this sad state of affairs, he

enthusiasticallyinvitesfellowthinkersto:

5Ononeside,iactuallyagreeconcerningtheinvitationofSriEdiSwasonothroughhisredbooktitledAnEconomic

Expos:GlobalismandtheCompetenceofIndonesiasEconomicsScholarsaboutthenecessityofopennesstowards

schoolsofthoughtotherthanCapitalismandSocialismintheteachingofeconomicsinIndonesia,aswellasalmostall

ofhisninesolutionsforrejuvenatingeconomicsciencesinIndonesia,but(inpurelyconstructivecritique)whydoesit

instead appear to be amarketing tool for the school of economic sciences known as Structuralism? Evenmore

regrettably, when SriEdi Swasono declared war on the servility (servile, the attitude of being a servant) of

Indonesianintellects,whyisitthatjusttoconvinceusofstructuralism,inhistinybookofonly174pages,hehadto

goasfarasquotingover20oftheworldsStructuralismexperts,justtoprovethedecayofneoclassicism?Mighthe

have done this because he is fully aware that our economists are indeed servile, somuch that they need the

validationoffirstworldintellectsinordertobeconvinced?However,ImustsaythatSriEdiSwasonohasprovideda

breathoffreshairtothedevelopmentofeconomicscienceinIndonesia.FurtherdetailscanbeviewedatSwasono,

2003(2002).

6 Translation: It is truly pitiful how we await the free trade economic system with more enthusiasm than those in the

north. We practice Liberalism and Capitalism here even more than the northern countries themselves do. We have even

become spokespeople for free trade in their gain. We even mortgage our minds and national loyalty to the idea of free

trade. as one who accepts before being offered ,we then dance to someone elses drum so easily. Not only

are we easily impressed or soft, perhaps even servile, but we proclaim ourselves as friendly or low-profile. (Swasono,

2003 {2002}: 74-75)

7Whenhemadethisstatement,unsurprisingly,hecategorizedhimselfaspartoftheradicalreformistminority.See

Swasono,2003(2002):7779)


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sebenarnya sudah terselip niat saya untuk mengajak kaum intelegensia kampus meninjau

ulang keterbelenguan mereka, agar bersedia meninggalkan ortodoksi dan posisi status-quo dalam

pemikiran ekonomi. kita semua sebagai warga kampus, untuk bersama-sama meningkatkan

kadar intelektualitas kita, menghindari keusangan dan meraih kemutakhiran.(Swasono, 2003

{2002}: 2, 97)8

Oddly, inorder to reach this sophisticationSriEdiSwasono insteadoffersa solutionwhich is

trulycontrary(orsimplyordinary):

maka kita dituntut untuk dapat melahirkan koreksi-koreksi kreatif, pembaruan-pembaruan

dan terobosan-terobosan inovatif dalam pengajaran ilmu ekonomi. Ibaratnya paragraf demi

paragraf dan bab demi bab harus kita kritisi secara mendasar. Hal ini harus kita lakukan sambil

menunggu hadirnya buku teks baru yang lebih lengkap dan solid untuk menggantikan buku-buku

teks neo-klasikal konservatif-konvensional yang saat ini mendominasi kampus-kampus

kita.(Swasono, 2003 {2002}: 105)9

Apparently it is intended thatwe contributebetter to theworld,not throughhardworkand

persistenceindevelopingeconomics,butinsteadonlybyawaitingthearrivalofnewalternative

economic textbooks in replacement of the neoclassical schools, which for him are too

conservative and conventional. Obvious it is, from both those who proclaim and who are

claimedtobecriticaloreventhemostradical,untilthose labeledasconservativeeconomists,

allareclearlymereintermediatorsofknowledge.Infact,weseemtobeatsuchalossathowto

solvethispatheticpuzzle (notonly ineconomics,but inall fieldofsciences),thatthroughAct

14/2005onTeachersandLecturers,ourgovernmenthasbeenforcedtoissueyetanotherkind

of professorship called Profesor Paripurna (possibly translated as Plenary Professor),just to

stimulateintellectualcreativity.Thefollowingisanexcerptofitscontent:

Profesor yang memiliki karya ilmiah atau karya monumental lainnya yang sangat istimewa

dalam bidangnya dan mendapat pengakuan internasional dapat diangkat menjadi profesor

paripurna. (LegislativeActNo.14/2005onTeachersandLecturers,Article49:2)10

Insimpleterms,whoever Indonesian intellectualwhoonedaywinstheNobel inEconomicsor

anyotherworldclassaward,heorsheshallatthatverymomentbecomeourveryfirstplenary

professor.However,themilliondollarquestionrightnowis,whyhasthisbleaknesssustained?

8 Translation: actually it has been my intention to invite campus intelligentsia to review their the existing

boundaries, in order to try to leave the orthodoxy and status-quo in economic wisdom. we all as intellectuals

(campus society), to jointly increase our intellectuality, avoid obsoletion and strive for sophistication. (Swasono, 2003

{2002}: 2, 97)

9 Translation: so we are obliged to bear creative corrections and breakthroughs in the teaching of economics.In other words, each paragraph and chapter must be fundamentally criticized. We must do this while waiting for new

textbooks which are more complete and solid to replace the neo-classical conservative-conventional textbooks that

currently dominate our campuses.(Swasono, 2003 {2002}:105)

10 Translation: Professors which produce scientific work or any other monumental work that is outstanding in ones

field and receives international acclaim can be promoted to plenary professorship.(Legislative Act No. 14/ 2005about Teachers and Lecturers, Article 49: 2)


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ServilismasaResultofInitialPragmatizationIn linewiththepreviousthesisfromSriEdiSwasono,whoholdsaprofessorshipatthe

UniversityofIndonesia(UI),andinrelationtothequestionabove,Prof.Dr.MubyartoofGajah

MadaUniversity(UGM)drawsthefollowingconclusion:

Sebagian besar dosen Ilmu Ekonomi kita yang belajar di Amerika mulai awal tahun

enampuluhan, baik di UC-Berkeley, UW-Madison, maupun di universitas-universitas lain di

Eropa Barat, hampir semuanya memperoleh beasiswa dari yayasan-yayasan atau dari pemerintah

Amerika. Akibatnya jelas kebanyakan dari mereka menjadi silau terhadap kehebatan ilmu yang

mereka peroleh termasuk sistem nilai yang dianggap lebih baik dan lebih modern ketimbang

sistem nilai di Indonesia.(Mubyarto, 2004: 22)11

In thisexcerpt,Mubyarto is convinced that the scholarships givenbyvarious foundations,as

wellasbythegovernmentsofdevelopedcountriessincethe1960s,arethecorecauseofthis

mess.Hemaintainsthatitisduetoforeigngenerosity,Indonesianeconomistswhoatthattime

were luckyenough to receive freeeducationabroad,were insteadenchantedandblindedby

thegreat

knowledge

and

values

system

so

proudly

held

by

the

westerners,

and

they

furthermore came tobelittlewhat is theirown.Oddly,allpostgraduate (masterdegree from

VanderbiltUniversityUSAin1962andPhDfromIowaStateUniversityUSAin1965)background

of the lateMubyarto,was in fact entirely achieved through scholarships of the same 1960s

periodwhichhejustcriticized.Orperhaps,similartoSriEdiSwasono,thelateMubyartoplaces

himselfoutsidethegroupwhichhecallsasmost.Sodespiteproposingaboldthesis, it isyet

veryregrettablethatthisemotionalanswerofMubyartoonlyfurtheraccentuatesthenarrow

mindednessofIndonesianintellectswhoareungrateful,andonlyenjoyfindinganescapegoat.

Therefore, we must be open and impartial when speaking of the sterility of Indonesian

economists.

If in his argument Mubyarto claims most Indonesian lecturers of Economics who

graduatedfromtheU.S.andEuropetobethecorecauseofthisstagnation,andconsideringhis

ownprofessorship,heshouldalsoacknowledgethebitterstateofeducationinIndonesia.Thisis

because,itistruethatalltheacknowledgedIndonesianeconomistssuchasDrs.Mohammad

Hatta,Prof.SumitroDjojohadikusumo,Prof.WidjojoNitisastro,evenuntilSriMulyaniIndrawati,

have indeed experienced the joy of studying at top universities in developed countries.

Regrettably, however, each left only after completing their elementary and secondary

education.

Some

had

even

possessed

Indonesian

baccalaureate.

It

is

no

longer

a

secret

that

this

11 Translation: Most of our lecturers of Economics who studied in America since the early sixties, such as at UC-Berkeley, UW-Madison, or at other universities in western Europe, almost all received scholarships from American

foundations or the American government. As a result, of course the majority of them became blinded by the greatness

of the knowledge which they received including the value system which they considered to be better and more modern

than the value system in Indonesia.(Mubyarto, 2004: 22)


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country consistently implements a practical educational system, which inherited from the

NetherlandIndiescolonialgovernmentthatisindeedpragmatic.12

M.C.Ricklefs(2005{2001})inhisbookentitledAHistoryofModernIndonesiaSincec.

1200, explains that European style formal education began to be widely available for the

Indonesian

natives

following

the

implementation

of

Ethical

Politics

by

the

Netherland

Indies

government at thebeginning of the 20th century.However,when attempting to realize the

educationalsystemmostappropriatetobeapplied,thecolonialgovernmentwas insteadtorn

into two ideals.SnouckHurgronjeand the firstDirectorofEthicalEducation, J.H.Abendanon,

preferredpureeducationofEuropeancharacteristics,whileIdenburgandGovernorGeneralvan

Heutsz instead supported education of a practical, pragmatic and basic orientated (Ricklefs,

2005 {2001}:329330).The latterpropositionwon itspopularityandasa result,education in

Indonesia at that time was consequently aimed at fulfilling the need for (coolies) mere

governmentstaffandlowtomiddlelevelcorporateemployees(Ricklefs,2005{2001}:332).This

isvery

obvious

in

the

types

of

colleges

which

the

colonial

government

left

Indonesia

with,

such

as:OSVIA(initiallytermedhoofdenscholenandofficiallyrenamedsince1900,akindoftraining

school for indigenous stateemployeecandidates);STOVIA (originallycalled JavaNurseSchool

and renamed since 1902, a kind of training school for indigenous doctors); Technische

Hoogeschool (a technicalcollegewhichbeganoperating in1920,andwas renamedas Institut

TeknologiBandungorBandungInstituteofTechnologyafterthe independence); Kweekscholen

(openedin1852,itwasaschoolforlowlevelteachers);aswellasRechtshoogeschool(acollege

oflawwhichwasfoundedin1924).13

Throughout thepostindependenceeraandevenuntil this textwaswritten, it seems

thatthe

practical

education

system

aforementioned

has

yet

to

experience

any

meaningful

change,asanexample,letusobserveoneofthelatestregulationsconcerningtheguidelinesfor

theopeningofastudyprogram,asfollows:

Usul pembukaan untuk dipertimbangkan pemberian ijin penyelenggaraannya oleh pemrakarsa

kepada Direktur Jenderal Pendidikan Tinggi harus didahului dengan kajian kelayakan akademik

dan administratif untuk memenuhi kriteria berikut :

a. Adanya prospek pekerjaan yang nyata bagi lulusan program studi tersebut sehingga tidakmenimbulkan penganggur baru (didukung dengan data survei).

b. Kepastian bahwa dengan pendirian perguruan tinggi dan pembukaan program studi barutersebut tidak mengakibatkan beban tambahan bagi pemerintah (secara finansial) dan misi

utama perguruan tinggi tersebut masih tetap tertangani dengan baik.

12Toavoiddefinitionaldifferences,Iwanttoclarifythatmyuseofthetermpragmaticinthistext,istomeanallforms

ofbehaviorwhichonlyprioritizethepracticalaspectofausevalue.Thuspragmatichereisjustformofbehavior,and

hasnothingtodowhatsoeverwiththeideologyofpragmatism.13

Itwasnotuntil1950thatIndonesiahaditsfirstDepartmentofEconomicScience(UniversityofIndonesia,UI),and

fromwhenceDr. SumitroDjojohadikusumo receivedhispredicate as BegawanEkonomi.Thiswasbecauseaside

from becoming the first dean of theUniversity of Indonesias department of Economic Science, in 1951 he also

became the first Professor of economics in Indonesia. Thus the title begawanwas given because Dr. Sumitro

indirectlybecamethegreatteacherofallgreatteachersofeconomicscienceinIndonesiauntilnow.


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c. Untuk menjamin tidak terjadinya kelebihan pasok lulusan, maka program studi yangdiusulkan dapat ditutup dan dibuka sesuai dengan kebutuhan. Untuk itu diperlukan

kemampuan melakukan relokasi sumberdaya perguruan tinggi.

d. Pembukaan program studi baru memperhatikan keadaan lingkungan yaitu penyelenggaraan program studi oleh perguruan tinggi lain sekitarnya atau di wilayahnya sehingga tidak

terjadi persaingan yang tidak sehat antar perguruan tinggi.

e. Pembukaan jurusan baru dapat menjanjikan peningkatan pemanfaatan sumberdayapendidikan tinggi yang ada dan meningkatkan layanan penyelenggaraan pendidikan tinggi.

f. Pembukaan jurusan baru tidak akan menimbulkan pergesekan internal dalam perguruantinggi sehingga menurunkan mutu kinernanya. (DirectoratesGeneralofHigherEducation

DecreeNo.108/DIKTI/Kep/2001)14

Byobservingtheregulation,wecansee thatcriteriaaandcveryclearlyshowhow Indonesia

quite enjoys that practical educational system. Supposedly, due to reasons of poverty and

unemployment, the educational realm of abstract knowledge does not receive sufficient

attention inthisrepublic,aseverythingisfocusedonfulfillingthedevelopingtrendsof labor

market demands,which aremore technical in nature. The countrys bureaucrats, often use

those

excuses

such

as

tangible

employment

or

prospects

for

graduates,

as

a

lethal

weapon.

It is true that exploring the mechanism of formal education in Indonesia is very

interesting. However, before continuing this exploration, we should best ponder firstly the

followingopinionbyDonnyGahralAdian:

Seorang profesor di perguruan tinggi negeri terenyak saat seorang mahasiswa bertanya.

Pertanyaannya sungguh di luar lingkar terjauh wawasan keilmuannya. Sejenak ia tercenung lalu

mengentak, Saya minta pertanyaan tidak melebar dari apa yang saya terangkan!Mekanisme

pertahanan sang profesor bertolak dari ketidaktahuannya. Alih-alih menyadari kelemahannya, ia

justru mematikan iklim kuriositas. Universitas berkelas dunia? Tunda mimpi itu sebelum

inkompetensi semacam ini dibenahi. (Adian, 19 December 2005)15

14 Translation: A permit proposal by the initiator to be considered for the permission thereof by the Director Generalof Higher Education must be preceded by a study of academic and administrative feasibility to fulfill the following

criteria:

a. The existence of a tangible prospect of work for the graduates of the stated program of study so as not to causenew unemployment (supported by survey data).

b. Assurance that the founding of this college and the opening of the afforestated new study program will not causean additional burden for the government (financially) and that the main mission of the given college remains well

handled.

c. To guarantee against the case of an oversupply of graduates, the proposed study program can be opened andclosed as needed. Therefore the ability to relocate college resources is necessary.

d. The opening of the new study program must take its surroundings into consideration, i.e. the existence of a studyprogram by a neighboring college or within the vicinity thereof in order to avoid unhealthy competition between

colleges.

e. The opening of a new major can promise increased utility of existing colleges and improve the service and overallconduct of higher education.

f. The opening of a new major shall not cause any internal friction within the college which may decrease thequality of its conduct. (Directorates General of Higher Education Decree No.108/DIKTI/Kep/2001)

15 Translation: A professor at a local tertiary educational institution practically fell out of his chair upon hearing aquestion from a particular student. The question was way beyond the furthest boundaries of the professors knowledge.

Being momentarily stunned he then retorted,I ask that the question does not diverge from what I have explained! The

professors defense mechanism stems from his ignorance. Rather than realizing his weakness, he instead murdered the

curious atmosphere (iklim kuriositas). World Class University? Put that dream on hold until this sort of incompetence

is taken care of.(Adian, 19 December 2005)


8/18

Forwecanseehowfreethought,especiallyaboutfreedomtobeindependent,isadifficulttask

to reach. Perceptions are deliberately uniformed, without being given a chance to behave

differently (lest the label of being crazy, a rebel, or other similar negative idioms will

automatically followastudentsselfidentity).Sinceearlychildhoodthiscountryschildrenare

indoctrinated,

that

mountains

must

be

drawn

in

triangular

shapes,

or

that

it

is

practically

illegal

to coloroutside the drawing lines, and this iswhat Imean by servilism as a resultof initial

pragmatization, from the earliest age. This mess is further complicated by the one way

communicationteachingmethod.Teachers(certainlyincludinglecturersandevenprofessorsas

well)mustbeacknowledgedas superhumanswho knowabsolutelyeverything, so that their

wordsare thewordsofGod (sabdhapandithaguru),beyondquestionordoubt.Teachersare

obligedtoteachandstudentsmustthereforeobeytheireverycommand.Thus,theeasiestway

tograduate,aside frombeingsupportedbyabrilliantmind, is tomastertheartofflattery.

Often,itisuncertainwhethertheteacherissureofwhathe isteaching.Thisistrulyan ideal

sketchof

acoolie,

who

is

effective,

hardworking,

obedient,

man

pleasing,

without

having

to

thinkcreativelyandinnovatively.

Therefore, if in thepreviousparagraph the lateMubyartoblamed the servilityof the

majority of Indonesias lecturers of economics who graduated from the United States and

Europe,orotherdevelopedcountries,heshouldhavefirstlyalsotakenanobjectivenoteofthe

educationalmilieuinIndonesia.Becausemostofitsexpertsinandlecturersofeconomicswho

graduated from various prominent universities around the world, were first made by the

practicaleducationalsystemoftheirowncountry.

TheStarvingLecturersandProfessorsEarlier on, by borrowing the statement of the late Prof.Mubyartowe succeeded in

identifyingthecauseoftheservilityofevenIndonesiasprominenteconomistswhograduated

fromvariousworldclassuniversities.StillwithintherealmofeducationinIndonesia,inorderto

proceedwithour investigation,whydontwenowtakea lookatasketchbyDonnyG.Adian

explainingtheteachingconditionofhighereducationinIndonesia:

Pertama, kita harus membuang jauh pikiran yang menyetarakan antara gelar dan kompetensi

pengajaran. Banyak dosen bergelar profesor yang mengajar ala kadarnya. Alih-alih membina

anak didiknya, tenaganya lebih banyak disumbangkan ke lembaga-lembaga non-akademis. Kuliah

hanya sesekali dihadiri. Sisanya adalah tugas mandiri yang membebani mahasiswa. Jika ditanya,

jawabannya selalu klasik: capaian finansial. Logika finansial membuat drainase pikiran

berlangsung laten di dunia pendidikan tinggi kita. Kedua, kita perlu berjarak dengan label

selebritis akademis yang melekat pada sebagian dosen. Dosen-dosen yang biasa di luar ini

tidak lagi mengabdi pada pengembangan keilmuan. Mereka hanya mempelajari apa yang bisa

dijual. Akibatnya, pengetahuannya tak pernah beringsut maju. Teknologi informasi hanya


9/18

dimanfaatkan untuk mencari informasi situasi politik, ekonomi, dan sosial terkini. Jurnal-jurnal

internasional yang bisa diakses secara virtual tak pernah dijamah.(Adian, 19 December 2005)16

Onceagainpoverty ismadeanexcusehere.However,whenweexamine these fewexcerpts

fromAdian, thepitiful situationof tertiary education in Indonesiabecomes ever so clear. In

relationtothetwoprevioussections,theredthreadtrailingthisquesttounveilthesterilityof

Indonesias economic intellectuals grows increasingly longer. Apparently, after being stuffed

withservility intheirowncountryandthenuponreturningtoandteaching intheirhomeland,

thoseservileeconomic intellectuals,graduatesofvariousprominentuniversitiesaround the

world,areforcedtofaceabitterreality.Forinordertomaintainthehouseholdskitchensmoke

(an Indonesianexpressionmeaning: tomakeendsmeet), it isnotenough tomerelyhold the

statusofa lecturerand researcheratjustoneuniversity.Theymay think that itwouldbea

wastetohaveworkedhardandlongstudyingabroadjusttoachieveaMastersDegreeorPhD,if

their familieswere to remain hungry after all. The result is similar towhatDonnyG. Adian

describes.

They

are

left

with

just

two

options:

to

strive

for

teaching

hours

beyond

the

regulated

maximum,ortousethetitlesofPh.D.andProfessorasanexpressway intothepoliticalarena.

Today an academic post in an academic structure, tomorrow a member of the House of

Representativesorevenapostasastateminister.

It is true though, that thus is the situation, which has come to be in this country.

Honestly, since writing the above excerpt, I have been submersed in a well of doubt. The

demand for cheap education never ceases its cry, yet on the opposite side, the fate of its

teachersistrulypathetic.Becauseassolutionforcheapeducation,theeasiestwayforIndonesia

is,justtosacrificethe livelihoodoftheteachers.Asanexample, ifwerefertothePresidential

DecreeNo.

59/2006

(on

the

cost

of

living

allowance

for

university

teachers)

and

the

Presidential

DecreeNo.1/2006 (concerningtheadjustments to theBasicSalaryofPublicCivilServants),a

fulltimeprofessor (category IV/e)withworkingexperienceexceeding31yearsonlyreceivesa

basesalaryofRp.2.070.000,00,andanextraprofessorshipallowanceofRp.990.000,00,sothat

thetotal isonlyRp.3.060.000,00.Tryto imagine iftosatisfytheneedtoupdatehisstockof

knowledge,aProfessorwouldhave tobuybookssuchasAmartyaK.SensDevelopmentAs

Freedom (publishedbyAnchorBooks,NewYork) forUS$ 16.00,MurrayN.Rothbards The

16 Translation: First,wemustdisposeof ideaswhichequalize titlesand teachingcompetence.Many lecturers

whoholdthetitleofprofessorcanbarelyteach.Ratherthandevelopingtheirstudents,mostoftheirenergy isspentonnonacademicinstitutions.Classesareonlyoccasionallyattended.Theymostjustconsistofindependent

assignmentswhichburdenthestudents.Whenasked,theanswerisalwaysclich:Financialconsiderations.This

financiallogichasmadelatenttheintellectualdrainageparticularlyinourtertiaryeducation.Secondly,weneed

to draw a distancefrom the label of academic celebrity which is so identifying of some lecturers. These

extraordinary lecturersarenolongerdevotedtoscientificdevelopment.Theyonlystudywhat issellable.Asa

result,theirknowledgeneverprogresses.Informationtechnologyisonlyusedtofindinformationaboutthelatest

political, economic, and social situations. International journals which can be accessed virtually are left

untouched.(Adian,19December2005)


10/18

Ethics of Liberty (published by New York University Press, New York) for US$ 17.95, and

subscribe to theWorldBanks WorldDevelopment Indicators (WDI)databasewhich further

costsUS$25.00.AssumingtheexchangeratesofRp.9.000,00toUS$1.00,ourgreatprofessor

wouldhavetodigRp.530.550,00outofhispersonalpaycheck,whichwouldmeanonefifthof

his

entire

monthly

income

(base

salary

plus

allowance).

It

would

be

a

different

story,

however,

if

theprofessorwere tobecome a rectororhold anyother structuralpositionon the levelof

Echelon1A.Automatically,hismonthly incomewould temporarily (at leastbefore theactual

promotion) increase to as much as Rp. 4.500.000 (Presidential Decree Number 3/2006 on

RemunerationforStructuralPosts).EspeciallyifhesucceededinbeingelectedtotheIndonesian

LegislativeAssemblyoreven tobeingaminister,his fortunewouldoverflow.Otherwise, the

professormightalso considerjoiningoneof themanynonGovernmentOrganizations (nGO)

worldwide.AccordingtoMathenL.nDoen17,theirmonthlyincomecouldincreasedrasticallyup

toaboutUS$5,000.Sobeingarationalhumanbeing,whowouldnotwantonesownpersonal

welfareto

improve?

Thus, it can be said that this countrys economic intellectuals are just a bunch of

bureaucrats18. FromMohammad Hatta, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo,Widjojo Nitisastro, Frans

Seda, Emil Salim, Kwik Kian Gie, Mubyarto, Dorodjatun KuntjoroJakti, SriEdi Swasono,

Boediono,Sjahrir,FaisalHBasri,DidikJunaidiRachbini,evenuntilSriMulyani Indrawati,were

and are bureaucrats. Prof. Didik Junaidi Rachbini, for example, started out as an assistant

lecturer,18 years laterhead chairpersonaswell asa foundingmemberof a certainpolitical

partyandamemberof theHouseofRepresentatives.Similarly,Prof.SriEdiSwasono initially

pursuedacareeraslectureruntilattainedprofessorship,onlytoendupasthechairpersonfor

theIndonesian

Cooperative

Assembly

(Dekopin).

Thenwhat about the fate of the inferior economics university lecturers (generally

graduatesof local universities), a.k.a. the lesser or even thosewho are stillpursuing their

career?Inordertofindtheanswer,letusobservethefollowingexcerpt:

17 A closed discussion with Marthen L. nDoen, on Thursday 26 April 2007 at the office of the head of the

DevelopmentalEconomicStudiesoftheEconomicsFaculty,SatyaWacanaChritianUniversity.

18Justtorefreshtheair,andasapointtoponder,letuscontemplatethisinterestinganecdotebyPeterG.Kleinon

thematter

of

the

dualism

of

acertain

economics

intellectual,

who

so

happens

to

also

be

abureaucrat:

Economistsarenottraditionallypopularaspolicyadvisors.Economicsteachesthatresourcesare limited,

thatchoicesmadeimplyopportunitiesforgone,thatouractionscanhaveunintendedconsequences.Thisis

typically,notwhatgovernmentofficialswanttohear.Whentheyproposeanimporttarifftohelpdomestic

manufacturers, we economists explain that this protection will come only at the expense of domestic

consumers.Whentheysuggestaminimumwage lawtoraisethe incomesof lowwageworkers,weshow

thatsuchalawhurtstheverypeopleitpurportstohelpbyforcingthemoutofwork.Onandonitgoes.As

each new generation of utopian reformers promises to create a better society, through government

intervention,theeconomiststandsathwarthistory,yellingRemembertheopportunitycost!(Klein,2006)


11/18

Asosiasi Dosen Indonesia (ADI) mencatat tak kurang 10.000 dosen yang mengajar di berbagai

kampus negeri serta swasta tanpa mengantongi jabatan akademik. (KOMPAS, 5 April 2006)19

Itseemstheymustreadilytoilatmultipleuniversitiesbeyondthemaximumworkinghourslimit

evenwithoutacademictenure(continuouslybeingnicknamedflyingdocentsorlecturers),or

theymust find sidejobs as consultants at variousnational or international nonGovernment

Organizationsoratnonacademic institutions,making them everoutof office asDonnyG.

Adianputsit.Withscientificresearchbeingabandoned,scientificdevelopmentisconsequently

lulled.Inanefforttosolvethisdilemma,in2003theIndonesiangovernmentgranteduptoRp.

25,50 billionjust to finance programswhich encompassed all sort of research (KOMPAS, 28

Januari2002).

From research grants to the plenary professorship award, may the Indonesian

governmentneverrunoutof idesshouldthesituationremainedunchanged.Thusthegeneral

scenarioofour investigation isclear,at least fornow,thatthiscountryseconomists,whether

they

are

labeled

as

being

prominent,

critical,

conservative,

or

even

just

plain

average,

are

all

as

ofyetmerecatalystsofknowledge.This isactuallynot the faultof thegenerousscholarships

from the various firstworld governments and international foundations, as the late Prof.

Mubyartobelieved,but it is in factbecausethosebrillianteconomistshadbeen initiallymade

servile by the pragmatic educational system this country adheres to. Furthermore, upon

graduatingandhavingtoreturntoteachintheirhomeland,togetherwiththeircolleagueswho

graduated from local universities, they are facedwith complex decision of either prioritizing

idealismorsatisfyphysicalhungerfirst?Ofcourseasrationaleconomichumans,itseemsthat

they choose the latter option. It is the good fortune of thosewho graduated abroad, to be

blessedwith

the

freedom

of

choice,

whether

to

be

aconsultant

or

even

abureaucrat.

While

their lessfortunatefriendswhoarestillpursuingtheircareer,mustsubmissivelyteachbeyond

maximumworkinghoursatmultiple localuniversities,orattemptconsultativepostsatvarious

national and international nonGovernmentOrganizations to evennonacademic institutions.

The realmofscientificabstraction is rarely touched,becauseall their researchonlydealwith

sellabletechnicalities.Theresult, farewell to thedevelopmentofeconomics in thiscountry,

andforgetthedreamabouttheNobelprizeineconomicswhichwasdiscussedpreviously.

TheirLow

Stock

of

Knowledge

Para ekonom, khususnya ekonom pembangunan, harus mulai banyak bergaul dengan ahli-ahli

sejarah, ahli-ahli ilmu politik, sosiologi dan antropologi, dst.(Swasono, 2003 {2002}: Hal. 82)20

19 Translation: The Indonesian Association of Docents (ADI) list no less than 10.000 docents who teach at variousuniversities, both state and privately run, without academic tenure.(KOMPAS, 5 April 2006)

20 Translation: The economists, particularly those in the field of developmental studies, must begin to associate withhistorians, experts of political science, sociology, anthropology, etc.(Swasono, 2003 {2002}: 82)


12/18

If since thebeginningof this text the focusofattentionhasbeenon thegeneral situationof

education in Indonesia, Ishallnownarrow thisdiscussiondownto the realmofeconomics in

Indonesia.Themilliondollarquestionisthus,preciselywhatpersonaladvantagedidJohnLocke,

Adam Smith, KarlMarx, JohnMaynard Keynes, or other great economics thinker, even the

entirelot

of

those

Nobel

winners,

have

that

our

Indonesian

economists

dont?

It

is

indeed

clear,

thatJohnLockewastheearlypioneerofthephilosophicalfoundationforeconomicstitledthe

pursuit of happiness, Adam Smith wields the invisible hand and laissezfaire

nachtwachterstaat,KarlMarxhasaddedvaluetheory,scientificsocialismandproletariat

dictatorship to his name, while J.M. Keynes is remembered for aggregate demand and

welfare state. Nevertheless, how exactly were these great characters ultimately able to

produceworkscapableofchangingtheworld?Furthermore,whatmannerofpersonalstockof

knowledge (accumulationof knowledge), could possibly enable a future economics giant to

givebirthtosuchbrilliantideasasthesewithsuchseemingease?Armedwiththesequestions,

wenowaimthespotlightonthescientificbackgroundof Indonesianeconomistsandthoseof

theworld.

Whowas JohnLocke?WeknowhimasaprominentBritishphilosopher (Rima,2001:

46).WhothenwasAdamSmith?Smithwasalsoaphilosopher.Infact,hewasaprofessorofthe

philosophy ofmoral ethics. Continuingon,whowas KarlMarx? Seeing his titleofDoctor of

Greek Philosophy, as well as his thesis titled Difference between the Democritean and

EpicureanPhilosophyofNature,hetoowasundoubtedlyaphilosopher (Callinicos,1996:15).

And so who was John Maynard Keynes? Keynes completed his education at Cambridge

Universitynot inorder todeepenhisknowledgeofeconomics,but ratherofmathematics. In

fact, J.M.Keynesactuallypreferredphilosophytostudyingeconomics.Strangely,noneamong

thethreebigone(Smith,MarxdanKeynes)everhadaformaleducationineconomics.Adam

Smith gained his understanding of economicmatters through his intensive discussionswith

David Hume, Turgot, Quesnay, aswell as other European intellectuals of that era and also

throughaseriesofhisownresearchesduringhisworkonTheWealthofNations.Marxalso

became familiarwith economics through his own independent research.While Keyneswas

morefortunateashisfatherwasaneconomist(JohnNevilleKeynes,friendofAlfredMarshall,

founderof theCambridge schoolof thought), so that itwaseasy forhim tojoin for free the

publiclectures

given

by

Marshall

and

A.C.

Pigou

(Rothbard,

2003:

35).

So

in

view

of

the

facts

relating to these three great characters,we insteaddiscover a very impressive conclusion. It

seemsquiteclearlythatforSmith,MarxaswellasKeynes,economicswascrownedasifitwere

thepeakoftheirthesis.


13/18

The situation concerning this conclusionwillbe furtheraccentuated ifweoutline the

scientificbackgroundofeachEconomicsNobelLaureate.The fact is,notasingleoneof them

purely cameand studiedeconomics. In fact, threeof thoseEconomicNobel Laureates,had

neither a formal (undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate) nor a nonformal education in

economic

science

whatsoever,

namely:

John

Forbes

Nash

(Professor

of

Mathematics,

Princeton

University), Daniel Kahneman (Professor of Psychology, Princeton University) and Robert J.

Aumann (ProfessorofMathematics,HebrewUniversityof Jerusalem).Furthermore,almostall

the Economic Nobel Laureates had formal educational background in mathematics and

statistics, four intellectualswere professionals in the field of physics (Jan Timbergen, Robert

Mundell,DanielMcFadden,danRobertF.Engle),anoneofthemevenheldabachelordegree

inelectronicengineering(VernonL.Smith).Onlytwooutthe60EconomicNobelLaureatesdid

nothaveaneducationalbackgroundinnaturalscience(FriedrichHayekandAmartyaK.Sen),yet

theyneverthelesspossesseda strong accumulationof knowledge in social sciences suchas

politicalsciences,

law,

psychology,

sociology,

anthropology

and

even

philosophy.

Referring

to

thepreviousparagraph,itisclearlyvisiblethatthepersonalstockofknowledgepossessedby

eachoftheworldclassintellectualsaboveprovedtoplayanimportantrolelikeammunitionina

cannonastheyfiretheirexplosiveideas.Thequestionnowis,whatabouttheaccumulationof

knowledgeofIndonesiaseconomists?

The answer is almost too simple, as this countrys economists are no more than

economist. Take for example the Father of Indonesian Cooperatives, Mohammad Hatta,

whoseundergraduatedegreewas in fact in the fieldofbusiness.Likewise is thecaseofProf.

Sumitro,theBegawan(Guru)ofIndonesianeconomists,whoseB.A.,M.A.andDoctoraldegree

(throughhis

thesis

titled

Javanese

Credit

during

the

Depression),

the

entirety

of

which

dealt

onlywitheconomics.Itisthusclear,throughtheseseriesofconditionsthatachallengetoaduel

of accumulated knowledge would result in the loss on the side of our economists. The

Indonesiansimilelikeafroginapieceofcoconutshellreallyseemstoapplyhere.Evenbefore

the battle, Indonesian economists would flee the arena tailsbetweenlegs for prematurely

runningoutofammo.Itisevenpossiblethatduetothisveryproblem,allideaswhichhaveever

made it outof themouthsof Indonesias economists are yet tobe conclusive.Be the ideas

concerningcooperativessystemtoEconomicsa laPancasila,allareasofyetmeretechnical

adaptations of thought. In fact, inmy research beforewriting this text, I found a profound

oddity.InaparticularbooktitledEconomicThoughtsandIssuesinIndonesiaoverthelasthalf

century(volume15),HadiSoesastroetal.(2005)astheeditorsuccessfullycategorizesallthe

articleofthelistedprominenteconomistsintoeightmainaspects,whichencompass:systems

andbasicprinciples,institutionaleconomics,PoliticalEconomics,developmentplanning,

macro economics, issues on agriculture, trade and industry, regional development, and

the development of socioeconomics. Yet not one of them,methodicallywrites about one


14/18

specificresearchproblemexaminedbasedonthoseeightlistedpointsofview.Takingthetopic

ofEconomicsa laPancasila forexample,notoneof themmethodicallydissects thematter

beginningwith fundamental systems andprinciples to the pattern and form of its social

economicdevelopment. It sems that they love toorateandwrite tidbits injointlypublished

books,

which

are

more

sellable

(referring

back

to

Donny

G.

Adians

statement),

rather

than

submersingthemselvesforlengthyperiodstocreateamagnumopussuchastheclassofAdam

SmithsTheWealthofNation,KarlMarxsDasCapital,J.M.KeynessTheGeneralTheory,

toAmartyaK.SensCollectiveChoiceandSocialWelfare.Consequently,wecandisposeofthe

dreamofaneconomicsystemalaIndonesia.But,howisitpossiblethatoureconomicsexperts

haveapoorstockofknowledge?

Actually,thisveryproblemisthecorecauseofthestagnationofscientificdevelopment

inthiscountry.Indonesiaalwaysdreamsofattainingthehighestideals,butisregrettablyalways

forgetting itsownability.From theearliest stages, itsentireyounggeneration isexpected to

determinetheir

own

personal

future,

in

order

to

develop

their

beloved

homeland.

However,

this

is not done through the rationalization of option that the youngster chooses, but through

partitioned cubicles,which have already been prepared by the youngstersbeloved country.

Thus,whatwasinitiallyanexpectationturnsintobasicallycoercion.Ifsincechildhoodsomeone

dreamstobeaneconomist,then Indonesiashallendeavorwithall itsmighttomaterializethe

dreamof itscitizen.Heorshe is then facilitatedsincehighschoolwithconcentrativeclasses,

suchasnaturalsciencesorsocialsciences.Thenaturalsciencesclass isaimedatstudentswho

wishtobedoctors,engineers,orotherprofessionswhichdealnaturalscience.Thesocialstudies

class is the placewhere future economists, sociologists, anthropologists, lawyers aswell as

prominentcompany

directors,

judges,

attorneys,

and

politicians

are

made.

Upon

finishing

high

school, Indonesiahasalsopreparedarangeof facultiesatvariousuniversities, to facilitate its

beloved youngster. So enters the future economist into the economics faculty. After his

undergraduate studies, variousmagisterialanddoctoralprogramsawait, yetagainunder the

emblemofeconomicscience.Astheyearsgoby,finallyourfutureeconomistwillgethisPhDin

economics,andthenhewillofficiallybeafullyfledgedeconomist trulyanidealdescriptionof

the reality, specificandnonsensefree.But it isever so regrettable, that Indonesia forgets to

look itselfinthemirrorconcerningthesituationdescribed intheprevioussections,concerning

thebleaknessof thepragmaticeducational system it is soproudof,which is filledwith little

morethanstarvingteachers,docents, lecturersandprofessors.Instead,theabstractsphereof

scientific disciplines arepartitioned one from another, so that each discipline endsup being

treatedindependently,withoutacknowledgingtheinterrelationbetweenonetotheother.

Thus isthiscountry.Naturalscienceonlymeansthestudyofnaturalphenomena,and

social studies talks specifically of humanity and its interactions,while economics is simply a

studyaboutwealth.Educationalinstitutionsareonlyseenasameremanufacturingplant,which


15/18

ishopedtoproducereliablereadytouselaborinitsrespectivefields.Ifsomeonedesirestobe

aneconomist,oneisthenfixedupinafactorycalledtheeconomicsfaculty.Thereoneisfaced

withvarioustemptingoffers,obviouslydesignedbytheownerofthefactory.Eventhoughthe

norm forauniversity tobe labeledasprominent (categorizedamong thecountrys top50) is

that

it

has

a

science

and

mathematics

faculty,

a

psychology

faculty,

a

faculty

for

social

sciences

aswell as political sciences, or even a law faculty, yet various classes such asmathematics,

statistics, introduction to commercial law, sociopolitics, philosophy of science, and business

behavior, are still always offered independently by the universitys economics faculty.

Sometimesinfact,supposedlyforthesakeofmakingiteasyforthestudents,twofacultiesata

singleuniversitywillofferclasseswhichhavebasically identicalcontents,butunderadifferent

name.Thejokegetsfunnierstillwhenweexamineourcreditsystem,whichisallegedlyfreeor

optional.Inreality,thetermsimplymeansthefreedomtomakeuseoftheremainingcredits

after the core curriculum, to take classes that the faculty has provided, outside the chosen

major.It

does

not

mean

the

freedom

to

take

classes

at

other

faculties.

If

astudent

should

be

eversowillful,heorshemustacceptthatthegradefromaclassoutsidehisfacultywillnotbe

included intohisorherGPA.Thismeansextracostandyetonlytobeagueststudent.There

goesthescientificenthusiasm,onceburning,butnowblowncolddueto lackofappreciation.

Studentsareforcedtobowinsubmission,gratefulforwhateverisalreadywrittenoutforthem.

In short, through its educational system that remains pragmatic despite trying to be

ideal, if youwant tobecome an economist in Indonesia, thendevote yourself exclusively to

study economics andmake sure youdo so at itsdesignated place, the economics faculty.A

directcomparisoncanbemadewithdevelopedcountriessuchastheU.S.A.andGreatBritainas

wellas

its

commonwealth

countries,

which

even

provide

degrees

such

as

Bachelor

of

General

Studies (B.G.S.)and Bachelorof Science inGeneral Studies (B.S.G.S.) forallundergraduate

student,whohavegraduated fromapersonally customized scientific concentration. It seems

the concept of a department store university sounds more appropriate to answer the

challengeforasufficientstockofknowledge,ratherthanthepatternofahumanrepairshop

universitylikewhatiscurrentlyimplementedinIndonesia.Wecanthuscorrelatetheexcerptof

SriEdi Swasonowhich I includedat thebeginningof this subchapter. Theword associate,

shouldbereplacedwiththewordstudysothatitmoreappropriatelyreadsasfollows:

Theeconomists,particularlythose inthefieldofdevelopmentalstudies,mustbegintostudywithhistorians,expertsofpoliticalscience,sociology,anthropology,etc.

TheConclusionofanOdysseyClearitisthattheeconomicsexpertsofIndonesiaarepoorinthoughtespeciallyinterm

oforiginal ideas.TheNobel inEconomics isstill farbeyondourreach,becauseapparentlythe


16/18

famedIndonesianeconomistswhoaretheprideandjoyoftheircountry,fromthosewhoclaim

or are claimed to be critical as well as the most radical, those are labeled conservative

economists all clearly and openlymere catalysts of knowledge. But why? The cause is not

merelyduetoadmirationandbedazzlementtowardsthescientificgreatnessandvaluesystem

which

the

west

takes

pride

in.

Rather

it

is

because

our

economists,

including

the

majority

of

the

countrys economics lecturers and professors who graduated from various renowned

universitiesaroundtheworld,especiallythosewhograduatedfromthelocaluniversities,have

beenstuffedbythepracticaleducationalsystemthatIndonesiaitselfimplements.

Furthermore, upon graduating and returning to devote their knowledge through

teaching in their homeland, togetherwith their colleagues who graduated locally, they are

slappedwith the dilemmatic question of prioritizing idealism or satisfying their bellies first.

Obviously as rational economicman,our intellectuals are then forced tobusy themselves in

search of side income in order to maintain their households kitchen smoke. Those who

graduatedabroad

are

fortunate

enough

to

be

afforded

the

luxury

of

choice

as

to

whether

they

opttobeaconsultantevenabureaucrat.Whiletheir lessfortunatecomrades,includingthose

still pursuing their careersmust resign to teaching beyond themaximum load, atmultiple

universities, or chase after consultative posts at themany national and international non

GovernmentOrganizationsandnonacademicinstitutions.Therealmofscientificabstractionis

rarelytouchedduetothe factthatalltheresearchdonebythoseeconomicexpertsonlydeal

with sellable technicalities.Sobleak is thepridedpragmaticeducational system,merely filled

withhungryteachers,lecturersandprofessors.

Nevertheless,withoutanyattempttowardsselfreflection,Indonesiaremainsconfident

inits

steps

towards

abrighter

tomorrow.

With

its

high

idealism,

this

country

obliges

its

young

generationssinceearlystages,todeterminetheirpersonalfuture,toparticipateincontributing

tothedevelopmentoftheirbelovedhomeland.Yetitisapity,thatforthesakeofitsambition

Indonesiainsteadplacesknowledgeinboxes,andsetsupthickpartitionsbetweentheabstract

milieuofscientificdisciplines,resulting intheirtreatmentasbeing isolated fromoneanother.

Onceagain, ifyouwishtobeaneconomistthe Indonesianway,thenstudyonlyeconomicsat

the economics faculty. As a result, those hungry economics experts find their stock of

knowledgetobe lacking.Coronatingthemmerelyasa frogunderapieceofcoconutshell,

who scurry off the battlefield before the war even begins, simply due to an exhausted

ammunition supply. From themess we call our educational system, filled but with hungry

teachers and docents, to the impoverished personal accumulation of knowledge of this

countryseconomicsintellectualsduetothethickpartitionsbetweendisciplinesofknowledge,

we now know the reason for the stagnation of the development of economic science in

Indonesia.Butwhatthenistomostappropriatesolutionforthematter?


17/18

Forthekeyissimple,onlyfreedomandsincereappreciation.IndeedIndonesiahasbeen

labeledaspoor21, thebasesalaryand remunerationof its teacher, lecturersandprofessors is

low,but at least the Indonesian youth shouldneverbe forced tobecomewhat this country

wantsthemto.Letthemchoosetheirownfreepathtoprosperityandwelfare.Provideditdoes

not

disadvantage

others,

even

if

they

go

as

far

as

choosing

to

a

coolie.

Not

that

we

should

make

cooliesoutof these students,but simply letbeinga coolie remainanoption.Enlighten their

minds, teach them todistinguish themselves in theirambitionsand tobe independent in the

effortstorealizetheirdreams.ForifSriEdiSwasono(2003:55)negativelylabeledAdamSmith

asbeingagreatdreamer,itseemsheforgotthatalleconomist wereinfactbigdreamers.

Smithdreamedthatonedaymankindcouldlivefreelyandempatheticallythroughitsownego,

Marxalwaysdreamedof thebirthofa societalorderwhichnamedcommunist,whileKeynes

continuallydreamedofanidealworldwithoutunemployment.Infact,wasnotPancasilaitselfa

dreamofSoekarno?ItseemsProf.SriEdihasconfusedthemeaningofdreamwithfantasy.

Itlooks

as

ifIndonesia

has

now

underestimated

and

forgotten

the

significance

of

the

power

of

a

dream.So respectwhateverambition,dream,orchoiceof the Indonesianyouth,not through

obligations,butthroughapathoffreedom.Refrainfromlimitingthemthroughthickpartitions

among theabstractmilieuofscientific fields. It isenough toprovide theeducational facilities

which this countrys youthneeds,butdonot force them to choose anyparticularone. Free

themtochoosethemeans,tools,andalsothebestwayaccordingtothem,fortheenrichment

of their personal stock of knowledge, so that they are able to create their own circle of

knowledge.Sinceeconomics is simplyawayabout freedom, towardsprosperityandwelfare.

Becausegreatideasoriginateonlyfromdreamswhicharerealizedthroughthedeterminationof

theheart,

the

clarity

of

the

mind,

and

the

passion

in

the

heart

and

the

mind

of

one,

all

of

which

comestonaughtwhencoerced.

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http://www.kompas.com/kompas cetak/0512/19/opini/2295673.htm,(07/05/2007).

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18/18

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