The Dutch public philosopher and social entrepreneur Abraham Kuyper ushered in a new era in Dutch colonial affairs when he became Prime Minister in 1901. Economic exploitation would be replaced by an “ethical policy” based on the moral responsibility of the Netherlands for the well-being of the indigenous people of its colonies. This article uses four types of “capital” needed for human development to frame the key components of the ethical policy vis-à-vis Indonesia, which are elucidated within their historical context. Despite the brevity of Kuyper’s cabinet (1901–1905), conditions on the ground improved, in part through its support for indigenous entrepreneurship and political decentralization.
Peter S. Heslam, "An Ethical Policy for an Islamic People: The Colonial Policy of the Kuyper Cabinet (1901–1905) and the Challenge of Human Development," Journal of Markets & Morality 23, no. 2 (2020): 297-317