A Perception of Javanese Philosophy based on Serat Wedhatama toward Virgil's Symbol of Human Wisdom and Role in Dante Alighieri's Inferno

Abstract

Virgil in Inferno is claimed to be a perfect example of human being concerning to his mastery of maturity and rationality viewed from the perspective of western philosophy as phrased in ‘Love of Wisdom’. As we know, the wisdom taught by western philosophy is the most important thing in someone who philosophies because western sees efforts as an absolute thing in human philosophizing process rather than its result or the truth itself. As believed by western, wisdom can be acquired by practicing and thinking which then the result is human with high intellectual and ethical attitude as depicted by Virgil in Inferno. On the contrary, a different concept stated by Javanese philosophy which truth is the absolute one whereas effort is only a means as stated by the phrase ‘Love of Perfection’. Relying on the belief in God, Javanese philosophy states that perfect human is person who understand the existence of God, the unity of man and God as termed by manunggaling kawula gusti. Human ethics and wisdom have only been destined along with the maturity of one’s age and spiritual attitude. Therefore, Javanese philosophy based on Serat Wedhatama used as the perspective of reading and interpretation to expand the exploration toward Virgil’s role and symbol, also structuralism which is used as a method of extracting pieces of evidence based to Virgil’s action and speech in relation with that two philosophical concept. Not merely to expand exploration, the use of that two philosophy concept is to compare those different values in discussing Virgil in Inferno.   Keywords: Love of Wisdom, Love of Perfection, Wisdom, Ethics, Manunggaling Kawula Gusti, Compare.