Budi (philosophy)

Budaya derives from the word ''budi''. ''Budi'' is synonymous to ''akal budi'' or ''kebudayaan''. This original Indonesian word is very philosophical, since it has been explained, interpreted, re-interpreted, and made a philosophical discourse in Indonesian philosophers' circle up to this time. Indonesian philosophy world is not considered as complete without mentioning this discourse. Its derivatives, such as Budayawan, Budiman, and Budi daya, are now also discussed among Indonesian philosophers, especially those who are called philosophers of Kebudayaan.

Philosophers of the various schools of philosophy define the word ''Budi'' (plural, ''Budaya'') with different definitions, suited to their school interests. The oldest definition of the word is found in the 18th century Ancient Javanese manuscript ''Serat Centhini''. According to the text, ''Budi'' is suprahuman, spiritual entity which mediates between God's being and human's being. It is a purely spiritual substance originated from God. Here is the excerpt:

English translation:

It is the Budi with this meaning that is used by Dr. Wahidin Soedirohusodo to name his and his fellows' first native political society Budi Utomo in the Dutch East Indies of the early 19th century.

The ''Budi'' in this meaning is also similar to the Sufi concept of Nur Muhammad or the Platonic concept of The Universal Soul or the Islamic philosophical concept of Al-'Aql Al-Awwal.

Modern definition (19th century onwards)

Modern European learning introduced by the Portuguese-Spanish Catholics and the Dutch Protestants to Indonesian native educational institutions in the 20th century influenced the definition of the word ''Budi''. In this intellectual period, ''Budi'' is re-defined and re-interpreted not as spiritual as understood before, but as human entity. In 1961, for example, Nicolas Drijarkara defined ''Budi'' as ''ethical reason'' or ''moral reason'' as understood by the moralist Immanuel Kant. Poedjawijatna, another philosopher, defined ''Budi'' as Indonesian translation of the English word ''reason'' or ''reasoning'' and ''Filsafat Budi'' as of the English word ''Logics''. Ki Hajar Dewantara, a preeminent Javanese thinker, in the early 1970s defined ''Budi '' as the matured human soul. Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana, a great Indonesian thinker of the century, defined ''Budi'' as psychological pattern contained in it basic life needs, instincts, feelings, thought, passions and fantasies. Here is the excerpt:

''Budi'' as culture

The philosopher in Indonesian history of philosophy who firstly understood ''Budi'' (or more frequently, ''Kebudayaan'') as culture is Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana (1908–1994). Koentjaraningrat, an American-trained anthropologist, then continued using the meaning in his famous book, ''Manusia dan Kebudayaan di Indonesia''. Sidi Gazalba, another philosopher of ''Kebudayaan'', defined ''Budi'' or ''Kebudayaan'' as a way of life owned and held by any cultural unity.Sidi Gazalba, ''Sistematika Filsafat Buku I'', Jakarta, Bulan Bintang, 1985, 4th edition, pp. 59-60 Today's Indonesian thinkers, like Sutan Syahrir, Soedjatmoko, Dick Hartoko, Abdurrahman Wahid, Mochtar Kusumaatmaja, Mochtar Lubis, Sayidiman Suryohadiprojo, Y.B. Mangunwijaya, Nurcholish Madjid, Darmanto Jatman, and other modernists, hold this cultural-anthropological meaning of ''Budi''. It can even be said that this meaning has been dominating the philosophical discourse of today. All philosophers holding this meaning has been acknowledged nationally as ''Philosophers of Kebudayaan''.

References

{{portal, Indonesia

Philosophy
Indonesian philosophy