Makna Perkawinan Adat Manggarai dalam Perspektif Etika Tanggung Jawab Emmanuel Levinas

Abstract

This study aims to analyze Manggarai traditional marriage as a space for developing an ethics of responsibility toward others from the perspective of Emmanuel Levinas. Manggarai traditional marriage is not merely understood as a process of legitimizing the relationship between a man and a woman, but also as a social, cultural, and moral event involving both families and the wider community. This research employs a qualitative method using a descriptive-analytical approach and literature study. Data were obtained through an examination of various sources concerning Manggarai traditional marriage, marriage rituals, Manggarai cultural values, and Emmanuel Levinas’s ethical thought on the face, the Other, responsibility, and justice. The findings indicate that the stages of Manggarai traditional marriage, beginning with tuke para/tuke mbaru, paluk kila, pongo/mbukut, reke kawing, we’e kawing, Church marriage, and karong lo’ang, embody values of commitment, respect, agreement, care, and responsibility. These values are consistent with Levinas’s thought, which places responsibility toward the Other at the foundation of human ethics. From this perspective, marriage is not merely a personal choice between “I” and “you,” but a call to take responsibility for one’s spouse, family, and community. However, certain traditional practices need to be critically reconsidered when they have the potential to limit freedom, dignity, and equality, particularly for women. Therefore, the continuity of Manggarai traditional marriage should be directed toward preserving the values of responsibility, respect, justice, solidarity, and love, which remain relevant to contemporary family life.