Beyond Distributive Justice: Gus Dur's Political Thought and the Reconstruction of Justice-Based Politics in Indonesia

Abstract

The persistence of social, economic, and cultural inequalities in Indonesia raises a fundamental question concerning how political justice can be conceptualized and practiced within a pluralistic society. This study examines Gus Dur’s (Abdurrahman Wahid) conception of political justice in dialogue with John Rawls’s theory of justice as fairness and asks how their respective approaches contribute to the construction of justice-based politics in Indonesia. Employing a qualitative, descriptive-analytical approach, the study analyzes Gus Dur’s major writings as primary sources and engages relevant philosophical and political literature through critical textual and content analysis. The study’s novelty lies in reconceptualizing Gus Dur’s political thought not merely as an expression of Islamic pluralism, but as an ethical-political framework that expands the scope of justice beyond institutional and distributive arrangements. The findings demonstrate that both Gus Dur and Rawls emphasize equality, fundamental rights, and the protection of disadvantaged groups as essential to a just democratic order. However, Gus Dur extends this framework by grounding justice in Islamic humanism, religious pluralism, moral responsibility, and local wisdom. Justice, therefore, requires not only fair institutions but also ethical transformation, recognition across differences, and inclusive political praxis. This framework offers a contextual model of justice-based politics for Indonesia’s diverse society.