The Relevance of Charles Taylor’s Hermeneutics to Interculturalism at Indonesia In Mediating Between Essentialist And Anti-Essentialist Cultural Views: An Ontological Analysis

Abstract

Indonesia’s extraordinary cultural diversity presents persistent challenges in managing intercultural relations. Existing theoretical approaches to culture often oscillate between two extremes: cultural essentialism, which treats culture as fixed and immutable, and anti-essentialism, which dissolves cultural identity into fluid and contingent constructions. Both positions prove inadequate for addressing Indonesia’s dynamic intercultural reality. This article aims to demonstrate that Charles Taylor’s hermeneutical philosophy provides a robust ontological framework capable of mediating between these extremes. Employing an ontological analysis centered on the philosophical category of substance, the study examines Taylor’s key concepts, particularly humans as self-interpreting animals and the fusion of horizons. The analysis shows that Taylor’s hermeneutics allows for the recognition of cultural continuity without reification, while simultaneously affirming cultural dynamism without falling into relativism. This framework enables what the article terms critical interculturalism an approach that preserves cultural authenticity while fostering meaningful intercultural dialogue. The findings suggest that Taylor’s hermeneutical ontology offers significant theoretical contributions to intercultural studies in Indonesia and provides normative guidance for cultural policy, education, and intercultural governance in plural democratic societies.