M. Nasroen
Encyclopedia
M. Nasroen was an Indonesia
n scholar in the field of philosophy
. He is most famous for having identified and classified Indonesian philosophy
as being separate and different from Western
and Eastern philosophy
. Nasroen reached the peak of his philosophical career when he was chosen as an emeritus professor
of philosophy at the University of Indonesia
in Jakarta
, one of Indonesia's largest and most respected universities.
His 1967 book, Falsafah Indonesia, laid the way for Indonesian scholars to start treating "Indonesian Philosophy" as a separate area of study. In it, Nasroen argues that the uniqueness of Indonesian philosophy is manifested in philosophical notions, such as mupakat, pantun-pantun, Pancasila, hukum adat
, ketuhanan, gotong-royong (mutual aid), and kekeluargaan (Falsafah Indonesia pp.14, 24, 25, 33, and 38).
Nasroen is also remembered for his work on the philosophy and the customs of the Minangkabau people of Indonesia's West Sumatra
province, presented in his 1957 book Dasar Falsafah Adat Minangkabau. This book is still commonly cited in the fields of women's studies
, such as in the writings of feminist
ethnographer
Peggy Reeves Sanday, as Nasroen's book was one of the first to explain the concept of matriarchy
in the Minangkabau matrilineal
system.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n scholar in the field of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He is most famous for having identified and classified Indonesian philosophy
Indonesian philosophy
Indonesian philosophy is a generic designation for the tradition of abstract speculation held by the people who inhabit the region now known as Indonesia...
as being separate and different from Western
Western philosophy
Western philosophy is the philosophical thought and work of the Western or Occidental world, as distinct from Eastern or Oriental philosophies and the varieties of indigenous philosophies....
and Eastern philosophy
Eastern philosophy
Eastern philosophy includes the various philosophies of Asia, including Chinese philosophy, Iranian philosophy, Japanese philosophy, Indian philosophy and Korean philosophy...
. Nasroen reached the peak of his philosophical career when he was chosen as an emeritus professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of philosophy at the University of Indonesia
University of Indonesia
The Universitas Indonesia, is a state, comprehensive world class university located in Depok, West Java and Salemba, Jakarta, Indonesia. Universitas Indonesia is the oldest tertiary-level educational institution in Indonesia...
in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, one of Indonesia's largest and most respected universities.
His 1967 book, Falsafah Indonesia, laid the way for Indonesian scholars to start treating "Indonesian Philosophy" as a separate area of study. In it, Nasroen argues that the uniqueness of Indonesian philosophy is manifested in philosophical notions, such as mupakat, pantun-pantun, Pancasila, hukum adat
Adat
Adat in Indonesian-Malay culture is the set of cultural norms, values, customs and practices found among specific ethnic groups in Indonesia, the southern Philippines and Malaysia...
, ketuhanan, gotong-royong (mutual aid), and kekeluargaan (Falsafah Indonesia pp.14, 24, 25, 33, and 38).
Nasroen is also remembered for his work on the philosophy and the customs of the Minangkabau people of Indonesia's West Sumatra
West Sumatra
West Sumatra is a province of Indonesia. It lies on the west coast of the island Sumatra. It borders the provinces of North Sumatra to the north, Riau and Jambi to the east, and Bengkulu to the southeast. It includes the Mentawai Islands off the coast...
province, presented in his 1957 book Dasar Falsafah Adat Minangkabau. This book is still commonly cited in the fields of women's studies
Women's studies
Women's studies, also known as feminist studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field which explores politics, society and history from an intersectional, multicultural women's perspective...
, such as in the writings of feminist
Feminist theory
Feminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical, or philosophical discourse, it aims to understand the nature of gender inequality...
ethnographer
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
Peggy Reeves Sanday, as Nasroen's book was one of the first to explain the concept of matriarchy
Matriarchy
A matriarchy is a society in which females, especially mothers, have the central roles of political leadership and moral authority. It is also sometimes called a gynocratic or gynocentric society....
in the Minangkabau matrilineal
Matrilineality
Matrilineality is a system in which descent is traced through the mother and maternal ancestors. Matrilineality is also a societal system in which one belongs to one's matriline or mother's lineage, which can involve the inheritance of property and/or titles.A matriline is a line of descent from a...
system.
Further reading
- Dasar Falsafah Adat Minangkabau (Jakarta: Bulan Bintang, 1957)
- Falsafah Indonesia (Jakarta: Penerbit Bulan Bintang, 1967) (National Library of Indonesia call number 181.16 NAS f)
- Matriarchy as a Socio-Cultural Form