From Classical Political Philosophy to the Digital Era, Boni Hargens’s Book Wins Praise

JAKARTA - Professor of Political Science Lili Romli considers Boni Hargens’ book, *Political Science from the Classical Era to the Digital Age*, worthy of being a primary reference for understanding political dynamics, both conceptually and theoretically, as well as in the context of the digital era’s development.

The statement was delivered by Lili Romli at the launch and book surgery held in Jakarta, Saturday, April 11. According to him, the book is not only relevant for academics, but also important to be read by political actors in and outside of democratic institutions.

"I read this book as if I had surpassed several courses because it was comprehensively reviewed, ranging from history, approaches, political systems to the influence of technology on political science," he said.

He assessed that through the book, Boni tried to straighten the negative view of politics which is often considered synonymous with dirty and manipulative practices. By referring to the thoughts of classical philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, to Aristotle, politics is actually presented as a science related to virtue and common interests.

According to Lili, the book also highlights the latest developments, especially the relationship between politics in the digital era and intelligence science in maintaining national interests.

"This is something that is current, how politics in the digital era and how political science intersects with intelligence," he explained.

However, Lili said there was still room for improvement in the book. He even encouraged Boni to immediately translate his doctoral dissertation entitled *Oligarchic Cartelization in Post-Suharto Indonesia* into Indonesian so that it would be easier for the public to access.

A similar appreciation was expressed by the Executive Director of the Indonesian Public Institute Karyono Wibowo. He considered the book as a comprehensive work that combines various schools of thought and political theories, including the issue of digitization and intelligence.

According to Karyono, one of the important points in the book is the effort to bring together two concepts that are often seen as opposed, namely democracy and intelligence.

"It shows that intelligence can strengthen democracy with a meeting point on national interests, even though it still leaves the question of whether intelligence can be fully democratic," he said.

Meanwhile, researcher of the National Research and Innovation Agency Syafuan Rozi invited political actors and stakeholders to read the book to enrich perspectives and strengthen the philosophical basis in policy making.

The 582-page book is divided into 10 chapters that discuss various aspects, ranging from political science theory and approaches, political systems, ideologies, to the relationship between democracy and intelligence in the digital era.