Decolonial Perspective: Spiritual Criticism of Western Modernity and Its Representation in non-Balai Pustaka Bumiputera Novels for the Period 1900-1932

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-418-1_16How to use a DOI?

Keywords

decolonial perspective; criticism of spirituality; objectification; Dutch East Indies

Abstract

This paper will discuss the critique of spirituality as part of de-colonial terminology, toward Western modernity in the Dutch East Indies. The discussion of this problem is interesting because, basically all Western influences in the Dutch East Indies, both in the context of colonialism, imperialism, and capitalism, are based on their ontology, namely modernity which has significance towards the objectification of the other and the subjectivity of other entities outside them. Thus, even though Western modernity and its practices were so strong in the Dutch East Indies during the colonial era, one of the factors that could counter this hegemony was local spirituality, showing significance in terms of counter knowledge and identity towards various policies of demonization and hegemony of the colonial government in the Dutch East Indies. The purpose of this paper is 1) to show the representation of Western modernity in the Dutch East Indies, in the context of the lives of Eastern society; 2). To show the counter knowledge and identity carried out by Eastern entities against various forms of domination, hegemony, and objectification of Eastern representations. The theory used in this study is De-colonial Spirituality in the context of Walter D. Mignolo’s perspective. The method in this study is qualitative, with data collection through the representation of spirituality in literary works in conducting counter knowledge and hegemony of the colonial government in the Dutch East Indies. The results of the study show: 1). The context of Western objectification and superiority, shown in relation to various rules against Natives and Islam in the Dutch East Indies; 2). The context of local spirituality in conducting counter knowledge against the objectification of Eastern subjectivity through various policies with Sjariat Islam and Muhammadiyah, also reflected in Student Hidjo by Mas Marco Kartodikromo and Moeslimah by Moechtar Boechary which discusses the struggle of Islamic groups in Surakarta in resisting the objectification of the colonial government.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Download article (PDF)

TY  - CONF
AU  - Hary Sulistyo
AU  - Faruk-Faruk
AU  - Sudibyo-Sudibyo
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/06/06
TI  - Decolonial Perspective: Spiritual Criticism of Western Modernity and Its Representation in non-Balai Pustaka Bumiputera Novels for the Period 1900-1932
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Cultural Studies (ICCUS 2024)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 203
EP  - 218
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-418-1_16
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-418-1_16
ID  - Sulistyo2025
ER  -