Legal Literacy- Why is it difficult for Indonesian society to obey the law? An in-depth analysis shows that the root of the problem lies not in knowledge, but in laws that have lost their values of justice and morality.

Introduction

The biggest irony of this nation is not the absence of law, but the absence of obedience amidst the abundance of rules. As access to information and the level of legal education continue to increase, violations are becoming increasingly rampant—from corruption by high-ranking officials to traffic violations on the highways. This raises a fundamental question: why is it difficult for Indonesian society to obey the law?

Many analyses point to weak law enforcement, poverty, or lack of education. However, there is a deeper root cause than that: the loss ofaxiology—namely moral and justice values—from the way we interpret the law. When the law is just a text without a soul, it will never be obeyed sincerely.

Our Foundation is Strong, But Why is Our Behavior Fragile?

Fundamentally, we are not a society without identity. Our ontological foundation as a nation is very strong: we believe in God, uphold mutual cooperation, and respect customs. Solidarity in the event of a disaster is real proof that these noble values are still alive in our hearts. We know that corruption, cheating, or bribery are wrong actions and contradict our identity.

The problem is not in self-understanding, but in action. If we know who we are, why does our behavior often not reflect these values?