Born from a nationalist struggle in 1945, Pancasila or the five principles is Indonesia’s “state philosophy”, at times called “national ideology” and “state ideology”. This thesis examines the...Show moreBorn from a nationalist struggle in 1945, Pancasila or the five principles is Indonesia’s “state philosophy”, at times called “national ideology” and “state ideology”. This thesis examines the central question of why Pancasila plays a recurring key role in Indonesian nation-state building. Adopting the rarely used framework of the dynamics between the nation and the state, this thesis tells the life-story of Pancasila. Through the historical examination of Pancasila’s life, this thesis argues that its resilience is due to Sukarno and Suharto, respectively Indonesia’s nation-builder and state-builder. Their 53-year presidencies entrenched Pancasila so deeply and forcefully into the foundation of the Indonesian nation-state that subsequent political actors, be it state or non-state, had to engage in the Pancasila discourse. Challenges to Pancasila manifested in the repeated calls for an Islamic state in Muslim-majority Indonesia by conservative Muslim groups. These were primarily deflected away by Sukarno’s and Suharto’s domination of Pancasila but paradoxically it left little room for Indonesian people themselves to decisively reject alternatives to Pancasila, thereby contributing to its recurring role in Indonesian nation- state building.Show less
