Mempromosikan Kebajikan (Virtue) Dalam Politik Indonesia: Kritik Atas Pragmatisme Kekuasaan, Krisis Etika Publik, Dan Rekonstruksi Keadilan Berbasis Pemikiran Michael J. Sandel

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the relevance of Michael J. Sandel's theory of justice in reconstructing political ethics in Indonesia through a virtue-based approach. Indonesia's post-Reformasi democratic development reveals a paradox between the advancement of procedural democracy and the persistence of political pragmatism, transactional politics, patronage, and integrity-related challenges in governance. This study employs a qualitative, conceptual-normative approach through a literature review, philosophical analysis, and theoretical synthesis of Sandel's ideas and Pancasila values. The findings indicate that approaches to justice emphasizing material welfare and formal freedom alone are insufficient to address the complexities of political ethics. The virtue-based approach offers a normative framework that places integrity, moral responsibility, substantive justice, and the common good at the center of political governance. These principles demonstrate philosophical connections with Pancasila, particularly its emphasis on humanity, deliberative wisdom, and social justice. This study concludes that revitalizing political virtue requires both individual moral transformation and the strengthening of institutional ethics through political party reform, transparency, governmental accountability, and civic education. Such efforts are essential to fostering a more substantive, accountable, and justice-oriented democracy in Indonesia.