Ruling Class, Intellectuals and Reforms in Southeast Asia
Feudalism and colonialism have deeply influenced Southeast Asian societies and their worldview. Their legacies and continuities continue to colour their social, political, economic and cultural development even in the post-independent era. This compilation of essays looks at the existential conditions of societies and their roots in the feudal and colonial past, and the vested interests behind them. The ideas and values of the ruling class as reflected in the social document or historical text is most revealing of the nature and impact of their authoritarian ethics and oppressive class ideologies. Such oppression, however, did not go unchallenged. Throughout centuries, ideas between authoritarian ethics and humanistic values have always been in competition. This contestation ensued mainly within the various traditions of Southeast Asia, between intellectuals as reformers and the dominant feudal and colonial ruling class. These essays explore these contesting ideas through analysis of the writings of varied thinkers like Ibn Khaldun, José Rizal, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, to name some, as well as through the films of P. Ramlee. Taken as a whole, this collection presents a compelling look at the production of knowledge, and offers a way forward in thinking about these issues.