The main pillars: irrigation, education, and emigration (transmigration).
ETHICAL politics, also known as the politics of gratitude, was a policy implemented by the Dutch East Indies government (now Indonesia) in the early 20th century.
This policy aimed to improve the welfare of the native population as a form of “payback” for the exploitation that occurred under previous policies, particularly the forced cultivation system.
Ethical politics had three main pillars: irrigation, education, and emigration (transmigration).
Criticism of this system came from intellectuals and politicians in the Netherlands, such as Pieter Brooshooft and C. Th. Van Deventer, who believed that the Dutch owed a "debt of honor" to the indigenous people.
The Ideas of Van Deventer
Conrad Theodor van Deventer popularized the idea of ethical politics, emphasizing the Dutch government’s moral obligation to improve the welfare of the native population.
Implementation of the Policy
In 1901, ethical politics was implemented by the Dutch East Indies government, with a focus on three main pillars: irrigation, education, and emigration (transmigration).
Ethical politics, particularly in the field of education, helped foster a sense of nationalism among the indigenous population, which eventually led to the independence movement of Indonesia.
Eduard Douwes Dekker (March 2, 1820 – February 19, 1887), better known by his pen name Multatuli (from the Latin “multa tulī”, meaning “I have suffered greatly”), was a Dutch writer famous for his satirical novel Max Havelaar (1860), which condemned the abuses of colonialism in the Dutch East Indies. He is considered one of the greatest Dutch writers.
Criticism from intellectuals such as Pieter Brooshooft and C. Th. Van Deventer, along with the influence of Max Havelaar and Multatuli, played a significant role in the birth of ethical politics. It was the beginning of a National Awakening.
Over a century ago, the intellectual movement, symbolized by the Budi Utomo movement, emerged, alongside the three founders of Indonesian nationalism: Ernest Douwes Dekker (Multatuli), Tjipto Mangoenkoesoemo, and Ki Hadjar Dewantara, who founded the Indische Partij.
But today, after more than a century, an overwhelming sense of disappointment persists. What happened? Leitbild, a German word for a guiding image for young people to shape and educate themselves—does it exist? Or rather, are the images so chaotic that no clear guidelines emerge from them?
The intellectuals who are supposed to sift through these images spend their time explaining that everything is relative — more or less. Or they discuss ethical issues with cynical views.
Lord Keynes said, “At least for the next hundred years, we must deceive everyone, including ourselves, by telling them that what is good is bad, and what is bad is good because the bad is useful and the good is useless. Greed, usury, and caution must remain our deities for a long time.”
On the other hand, the 21st century, a period of rapid progress marked by advanced generative AI, is known as the AI explosion.
Generative AI and its ability to create and modify content reveal some unintended consequences and dangers today, raising ethical concerns about its long-term effects and the potential existential risks of AI.
“Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” – This phrase teaches us to never stop learning and dreaming big.
This philosophy also encourages us to remain hungry for knowledge and keep striving, even when we often feel out of our comfort zone.
Through the principle of “stay hungry, stay foolish,” Steve Jobs urges us to always have high curiosity, to continue pursuing our dreams without fear of failure or being deemed odd.
“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.”
“Logic will take you from point A to point B, but imagination will take you everywhere.”
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.”
Nvidia CEO: If I were a student today, here’s how I would use AI to improve my performance—what profession doesn’t matter
If Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, were a student again, he would use generative AI to achieve a successful career.
“The first thing I would do is study AI,” Huang said.
“Learning how to interact with AI is not that different from being someone who is very good at asking questions,” he added.
“Giving prompts to AI is very similar. You can’t just ask random questions. Asking AI to be your assistant requires skills and expertise in how you ask,” Huang explained.
A New World. From Ethical Politics and the Criticism of Intellectuals more than a century ago, now the intellectual world and the youth generation are changing toward a new era of Artificial Intelligence and High Technology.
* Jimmy H Siahaan, Columnist
Source: https://kbanews.com/english-edition/the-rise-of-intellectuals-a-reflection-on-our-struggles/