Ideas are supreme and far-reaching …
I’m not a big fan of John Maynard Keynes’ economic philosophy, but I like his ideas about ideas (!):
“The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist. Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back (The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money).“
An unavoidable example of the supremacy and reach of ideas is seen in the research and conclusions of the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882). Darwin was the official naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle which circumnavigated the globe throughout the southern hemisphere on a scientific survey expedition between 1831 and 1836. On the journey he studied geology, plants, animals, and fossils. In 1859 he published The Origen of Species in which he presented evidence for his theory of natural selection and evolution.
Though his interests began in science, his ideas of natural selection and evolutionary theory began to reach toward other fields of study as his career progressed. By 1871, he was beginning to develop concepts about evolutionary psychology, evolutionary ethics, and how evolutionary theory could be applied to society in his book The Descent of Man. Darwin’s Christianity ”devolved” over the course of his life.
Ideas can be seminal. Like seeds, they spread and develop. Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) was a British philosopher, sociological theorist, and political theorist. He is known for coining the phrase “survival of the fittest” after reading The Origen of Species. The seeds of natural selection and evolutionary thought were in Darwin. Spencer diffused evolutionary theory into much wider realms including the human mind, culture, sociology, society, ethics, and political theory. He truly was a social Darwinist.
Of this we can be sure: Ideas themselves evolve. Did you know that social Darwinistic thought can alter the value of human life in a society, affect psychological counseling, energize the stifling effects of radical environmentalism, and even balloon the size of the federal government’s role in your life?
John Maynard Keynes clearly saw the supremacy of ideas. Most of us underestimate the power and effect of ideas in general. We do not fully appreciate the extent to which evolutionary thought has spread throughout the late 19th century, the 20th century, and into our time. It has reached into every conceivable realm of study, increasingly influencing modern history since the early 1900’s.
We would do well to have a better grasp of history. We only hurt ourselves by underestimating the power of ideas. Less television and all manner of electronic devices … more reading. Less popular culture … more thinking, conversation, and dialogue.
Interpretation of our times and then influence. Interpretation and influence.
Questions: In what ways can I engage the world of ideas right now? How can I be more of an influence?
As reported in The Telegraph, the researchers found that stress levels and heart rate showed a 68% reduction in measurable stress after reading from a book. After achieving a high stress level through exercise and mental tests, just six minutes of reading slowed the heart rate and decreased other measures of physical stress in the muscles. Reading reduced stress to levels even lower than the baseline before the high stress was reached.
