Madilog

Madilog
Title page of the 1951 edition. a
Author Tan Malakab
Original title Madilog
Translator Ted Sprague (into Dutch)
Country Indonesia
Language Indonesian
Subject Philosophy (synthesis of Dialectical materialism and Logics)
Published 1943
Pages 568 (first Indonesian edition)[1]
a First edition (1943) was the author's own publisher. b First publication, Malaka used the pen name "Iljas Hussein".

The Madilog by Iljas Hussein (the pen name of Tan Malaka), first published in 1943, official first edition 1951, is magnum opus of Tan Malaka, the Indonesian national hero which is the most influential works in the history of Indonesian modern philosophy. Madilog is the Indonesian abbreviation that stands for Materialisme Dialektika Logika (literally, Materialism Dialectics Logics) and was the synthesis in between Marxism dialectical materialism and Hegelian logics. Madilog was created in Batavia during Japanese occupation of Indonesia when Malaka was hiding from Japanese spy and disguised himself as tailor. Malaka created his essay on "Naar de Republiek Indonesië" (Towards Republic of Indonesia in 1928 and would like to arrange the national identities of Indonesia during Dutch East Indies government then he wrote Madilog as the anticlimax of his ideas. Although Madilog is based on marxism, yet it is not a kind of marxism view. Madilog is pure of Malaka's nationalism perspective which is influenced by Hegelian dialectics, Feuerbach's materialism, Marx's views of scientific reason, and logical positivism for being the new Indonesian's way of thinking alternative where Indonesian people lives in the thousands of islands, hundreds languages and cultures yet most think mystical logics (Indonesian: logika mistika) in every single part of thinking.

History

Madilog was written by Tan Malaka in Radjawati, nearby a shoe factory in Kalibata, Pantjoran, Batavia. He stayed there in between 1942 and 1943 as a tailor while inspecting the condition of the city and kampungs in Batavia where he left this city over 20 years. He spent the time to wrote Madilog about to within 8 months, from July 1942 to March 1943 (720 hours, approximately 3 hours per day). He was actually writing Madilog and Gabungan Aslia (Aslia Merged) at the same time. Yet had to be postponed due to less money and he was under strict supervision by Keibodan during World War II from 1942 to 1945 (Indonesian independence declared).

During writing Madilog, Malaka was served as Chairman of Maid Agency for Defense (Indonesian old-spelling: Badan Pembantoe Pembelaan, BPP) and Chairman of Maid Soldier Agency Workers (Indonesian old-spelling: Badan Pembantoe Pradjoerit Pekerdja, BP3) for Romusha. Then he was eventually elected as Bantam representative for Young Generation Congress (Indonesian old-spelling: Congres Angkatan Moeda, Dutch: Congres van de Jonge Generatie) yet inauguration was cancelled. In Bantam, he met some Indonesian youth nationalist activists such as Sukarni, Chaerul Saleh, Wikana who would be known as the member of Persatuan Perdjuangan in Surakarta in 1948.

"Madilog" book introduced the Madilog idea. It was first published in 1943 as own publication using the pen name Iljas Hussein which has 568 pages. After Indonesian independence, "Madilog" was published by Widjaya Publisher in 1951 in Jakarta. "Madilog" was translated to Dutch by Ted Sprague and was published in 1962 in The Hague.[2]

Epistemology

Madilog was a new term on way of thinking in which related to things such as evidence and fact, meanwhile growing to a method that fits into the root of Indonesian demographics and cultures as a part of human civilization that lies on Indonesian fundamental thinking. Evidence is a fact and fact is founded by scientific evidence where there are two main ways of thinking in Western philosophy. First is idea (mind), unity of thinking, and sense. Second is matter as tangible reality, objective around nature as existence. Those two things were combined in the same way of thinking for human beings who are the subject living things. In Madilog, the main field is evidence though it is still not able to be described rationally, however as sort of science even it can not be explained yet to be what, why, and how, it should be considered as true way on thinking where human does not think it failure being logical fallacies and it is going to be put in myths. And this is analysis of Madilog's epistemology about truth validity on science and human knowledge and its correlation to reflections of life. It is divided into three parts: definition, testing, and reflection mathematically.

Definition on Madilog's View

Definition means limitation of reasons in a process of an idea as the natural language. Human optimism on reasons does not become an ideal-final superpower explanation as the truth anymore if definition says A is equal to B for instance, so the thing that we have to see is validity test on reverse (B is also equal to A) or it is necessary to input some variables which is approximately co-linear to the first statement (A=B) as the main hypothesis. Sort of thing, there is requirement that requires something becomes definitions, as follows: (1) definition should be simple as far as possible; (2) definition should not be circular; (3) Definition must general or common (mainstream); (4) definition is forbidden to use a metaphor, analogy, figuurlijk, description, obscure words, ghaib, abstract, and vaguely; and (5) definition should not contain a negative sentence at all.[3]

As for instance, if there is statement “human is animal”, then it has to be right that simple definition where the conclusion is “ape and reptile are animals”. But if it is reversed “animal is human”, so then it has the same way that “ape and reptile are human” as well as definition can make a logical fallacy. If “human is a two-eye animal, due to ape has two eyes”, then the syllogism will distort the simple meaning as “buffalo is also human”.

Arithmetics on Madilog's View

Using algebra does not increase human intelligence where mankind steps on mathematics at the first time, even it is going to be limitation of thinking in human brain. It can make a mankind as a mechanical creature such a programmed robot who does not need to investigate something first. This was a phenomenon of Indonesian people under the Dutch Ethical Policy (Dutch: Ethische Politiek, Indonesian: Politik Etis) where was applied in 1901-1942.

Algebra is far more abstract than arithmetics on calculus. It is departed further than thing. On arithmetics, we know 2 + 2 = 4 as a model of addition so that is why we never mind the two as not only a number, but also its thing that attributes to something like one pen and one pen (two pens) whereas it is only a number, not a thing. Same as black as its color thing, it is literally described more than just a number in human thinking.

The number has been departed from thing that represented all the things. Two can be two buffalos or two eggs whereas we know two buffalos add to two eggs are not equal to four buffalos and four eggs. This is based logical fallacy even though human imagines a symbol of their numbers (2 and 4).

2 or 4 is only a number that sorts to mere symbol, only a mind abstraction. Yet algebra is more departed, more abstract. For example, a form of this equation on the following:

(a+b) (b-a) = a² - b²

Imagine a supposition where a = 3 and b = 2, so it is derived an equation: (3 + 2)(3 - 2) = 3² - 2². On the left part on symbol "be equal to" (=) we have 5 x 1 = 5, either 9 - 4 = 5 as well. So that we find the left part is equal to the right part. Malaka described it as the meaning of algebra on Arabic lexicon (Arabic: الجبر al-jabr) that literally means “reunion of broken parts”.[4] It also consists to another numbers if a ≠ 3 but a = 5 and b ≠ 2 but b = 3 for instance, then we have (5 + 3) (5 - 3) = 5² - 3². On the left part we have 8 x 2 = 16 and also 16 from 25 - 9 on the right part.

So on, notation “a” represents unlimited value of number, it can contain a value 2, or 3, 4, 5 …. and so on as constanta. And notation “b” also represents unlimited value, so then algebra classifies “a” and “b” as variables. Notation “a” does not need to be greater than notation “b”, for example this supposition:

(3+6) (3-6) = 3² - 6² is simplified being 9 x (-3) = 9 – 12 = -3 or (½+⅔) (½-⅔) = (½)² - (⅔)² is simplified being 1/4 x (-4/9) = 1/4 - 4/9

Just like the numbers on equation above, it all represents things: 2 buffalos or 2 eggs, as well as “a” represents the 2, or 3, 4, so on. Those are the abstraction, departed from the things. Meanwhile, the number itself has been abstract, moreover notation a and b on algebra. Algebra is more abstract than arithmetics when it is departed from the things.

This does not mean that if mathematic is separated from matter, so it is useless. So then the greater algebra which is more abstract is also more useless. After all, algebra abstraction is based on arithmetics as well, and arithmetic stands on the things as matter. This is concerned on Madilog main idea to think on the right path.

Geometry on Madilog's View

Geometry does not care for weights, warmth of substances, or energy on a three-dimensional space object. It defines to become four main parts: (1) volume is a part of natural space which is contiguous to all corner of spheres; (2) sphere is a mass border; (3) line is sphere border; and (4) dot is line border.

Volume, in a common definition, is a part of natural space. So, volume is classified in a more general class, that is “part of nature”. A part does not mean all the parts of space in nature that is very widely, but 1 m³ air is also included in “part of natural space”, like buffalo, egg, human, do not fit into 1 m³ towards the “part of natural space”. So, we must create fences that defines something due to the meaning is too huge. The fences are differences among the things whom every matter has in the same classification. So, definition of volume is pretty accurate, means being in mutual accord to the definition’s requirement as told above. That is why science defines like the organization of facts and the simplification by generalization such as geometry. Both of those definitions hit the mark, fill the volume, and both are based on facts. This is the last step on thinking madilogally.

Theory Testing

There are twenty nine pages in Madilog which describe about theorems and scientific theory testing. Theory must be tested though it defines like a proven hypothesis to be a truth (h ≠ 0). Hypothesis itself is notion, presumption of something, or beliefs, not a truth at all. If atom might be still on Democritus mind, atom is always being a presumption. Theory is a result of testing which has been tested in many ways. Theory testing on science uses “triple methods” who was formed on Madilog into three methods as follows.

Synthetic Method

Synthetic method is application of Hegelian dialectic circular form: thesis → antithesis → synthesis). It is a kind of integration the two or multi elements that produces a new result of idea. However, the practice is not synthetic dialectics, but synthetic epistemology.

For instance, Pythagorean theorem as a synthesis that fuzed a geometry and arithmetic in mathematics. Or a synthesis of the limit of a function and simplified algebraic operation to proof derivation of x² is 2x.

First, we sort the basic pattern: y = x² dy/dx = 2x dy/dx is derivation function of f’(x)

Then, dy/dx is forbidden to be limited by aggregate constanta, means ∆x limits to nol (0). We can replace dy/dx with zero limit of a function.

Based on limit of a function theory on derivation (f’(x)), f’x is (f(x+y) - f(x)) / y for the zero limit of a function limit x→0 we have formula:

f’x = lim (f(x+y) - f(x)) / y x→0

Short after insertion of limit of a function theory, it is able to be tested with inserting the equation y = x²:

Based on f’x = lim (f(x+y) - f(x)) / y x→0

dy/dx = lim ((x+∆x)²-x²) / ∆x x→0

In algebra formula, (a+b)ⁿ = aⁿ + n.a + bⁿ can be replaced to (x+∆x)²-x² becomes x² + 2x.∆x + ∆x². So:

dy/dx = lim (x² + 2x.∆x + ∆x² - x²) / ∆x x→0

The result is (2x + ∆x) = 2x.

So, it is proven that derivation of x² is 2x. And the verification fuzes to two principles: limit of a function and simplified algebraic operation.

Analytic Method

Analytical method is the second alternative while verified an evidence in a theory. We can use a supposition: “I wish this theory was right”, this is what we call as analytical thinking. For instance, we want to prove x² is derivation of 2x.

First, we also sort the basic pattern: y = x² dy/dx = 2x dy/dx is derivative function of f’(x)

If we want to prove the derivation of y = x² is dy/dx = 2x, so "I wish it was true". From the supposition we have a formula logically:

x² → 2x x² = 1x² → 2x otherwise, 2x = (1+1)x²ˉ¹ ← x² 2x = 2x¹ ← x² 2x ← x²

So, it has been proven that x² is derivation of 2x. It is quiet extreme. Analytical method is more simple than synthesis method. Yet most are still greater than the third method below: “reductio ad absurdum”.

Reductio ad Absurdum

Reductio ad absurdum is a Latin words which means "reduction to absurdity". It is actually a common term of argument which seeks to demonstrate that a statement is true by showing that a false, untenable, or absurd result are followed by its denial, or in turn to demonstrate that a statement is false by showing that a false, untenable, or absurd result follows from its acceptance. For instance, "if A then both B and not-B, so not-A" and "if not-A then both B and not-B, so A". In Madilog views, every single theory has principle. Reductio ad absurdum on Madilog is the most extreme way to verify a theory testing.

For instance, we use the same case as before, we want to prove x² is derivation of 2x. We need to know the principles of derivation, and make sure that y = f(x), so dy/dx = f’(x) or notation y’. If a small addition of x is equal to ∆x involves increasing y to be ∆y, so that y = f(x) becomes y + ∆y = f(x+∆x), so the meaning of dy/dx = 2x is f(x) = x² (proven after sorting y + ∆y). It means that if small addition of x is ∆x has reduced dy/dx substance, so it is rather proven on shortcut paradigm itself than proven science itself.

Notes

  1. ↑ Madilog on Marxist Archive (in Indonesian)
  2. ↑ Poeze, Harry A. 1999. "Tan Malaka: Pergulatan Menuju Republik 1925-1945". Jakarta: Pustaka Utama Grafiti. p. xvii. (in Indonesian). ISBN 9794440523.
  3. ↑ Malaka, Tan. 1951. "Madilog". Jakarta: Widjaja. p. 97
  4. ↑ Lane, Edward William. 1863. "Arabic-English Lexicon". London: Willams & Norgate. p. 375 on internet