YOGYAKARTA — As debates over democracy and civic freedoms intensify, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta convened a public discussion on philosophy and critical thought, placing intellectual history at the center of contemporary reflection.

The Sociology of Religion Program at the Faculty of Ushuluddin and Islamic Thought, in collaboration with Suka Press, held a book review of Dari Athena sampai Nusantara: Pengantar Filsafat Dunia tentang Manusia, Nalar, Agama dan Kekuasaan by Al Makin on Thursday (Dec. 26, 2026) at the campus convention hall.

The volume traces the trajectory of human thought from ancient civilizations to modern Indonesia, mapping intellectual developments from Egypt, Greece and Rome to Asia and the post–World War II world. Written in accessible language, the book introduces major philosophical traditions alongside Indonesian thinkers within a single historical continuum.

Speaking at the forum, Al Makin described the book as both scholarly work and intellectual memoir. He recounts encounters with leading figures and formative academic experiences, including attending lectures by Jürgen Habermas and Jacques Derrida, living near the former residence of Max Weber, and visiting sites associated with Karl Marx.

He said philosophy should be introduced earlier in formal education, arguing that the capacity to reason belongs to all people, beyond academic institutions.

Novelist and cultural commentator Okky Madasari called the book significant for systematically situating global and Indonesian thinkers within shared intellectual lineages. She noted that figures such as Socrates, Cicero, Lao Tzu, John Locke and Habermas are presented alongside Indonesian names including Tan Malaka, Daniel Dhakidae, Nurcholish Madjid, Abdurrahman Wahid and Azyumardi Azra.

According to Okky, the book underscores that intellectual traditions emerge from historical unease rather than abstraction, and that knowledge production requires space for debate and dissent.

Philosopher Fakhrudin Faiz of UIN Sunan Kalijaga described the work as encyclopedic in scope, noting that its breadth invites further inquiry and continuation. He also pointed to shifting public perceptions of philosophers — from revered sages to clerics, academics, activists, and, increasingly, digital-era personalities.

The forum drew lecturers and students from across faculties, reflecting sustained efforts by the university to expand public engagement with critical scholarship as part of its academic programming.