The Spirit and Values of Democracy in Indonesian Culture

Democracy is a political system that has been implemented in Indonesia since the beginning of independence, namely in 1945. Democracy itself was first born in Ancient Greece which then developed into several forms. Based on historical traces, many countries have failed to implement a democratic system until they collapsed. As a system that indirectly protects the rights of its people, it is necessary to adjust the democratic system to the culture and way of life. This study aims to hone the spirit and values of democracy that exist in the culture of Indonesian society. As an initial stage, this study took Javanese culture to be studied regarding the spirit and values of democracy contained in it. This research is a qualitative study and uses the phenomenological hermeneutic method. The elements of the method used are: description, heuristic, interpretation, analysis and idealization. Cultural values and customs that are the basis of democracy are needed to balance Western democracy which has values of freedom and individualism. This study obtains a picture of the spirits and values of democration in Indonesian culture