Syed Hussein Alatas & The School of Autonomous Knowledge

Syed Hussein Alatas and the School of Autonomous Knowledge compiles 14 essays from writers around the Southeast Asian region on the ideas of the late Syed Hussein Alatas, a renowned Malaysian social theorist and pioneering professor of Malay Studies.

Enter the School of Autonomous Knowledge, a school of thought which began during Alatas’ professorial tenure at the National University of Singapore. Alatas noticed that the study of the history, society, and culture of the Nusantara (Malay-Indonesian world) was still limited by Eurocentric, nationalistic, sectarian, and nativist mindsets within the scholarly community itself. In response to these limitations, he called for a change in the way knowledge was created in the field of the social sciences, to encourage freedom of thought and awareness of such biases.

A generation of young academics heeded Alatas’ call when it first came out. This legacy continues today in this collection of writings that reflect upon and expand his repertoire of knowledge, concerns and methodological approach. It is an essential volume for anyone interested in diagnostic sociological approach, concern for the development of society, and driven by the autonomy of the mind and spirit