Ideas and Money

Neal Gabler argues in an article in the New York Times that we live in a post-idea world, that spectacular, life-changing, intellectual ideas hardly, if ever, come into being anymore. Inundated with the flood of information that is available everywhere, especially on the internet, we are overwhelmed with so much information that we can hardly process it, let alone think about it.

I disagree with a lot of the article. I don't think that its true that people aren't thinking of "ideas" (what is an "idea" anyway? He failed to really define this super abstract term) - but I do agree with him that society in general places much more value on ideas that make money instead of being intellectually or culturally enriching.

Take for example, James Franco and his recent project the Museum of Non-visible Art. It is exactly what it sounds like: art that you can't see or feel or touch. It doesn't exist but in the mind. You see, James Franco has boiled art down to its most core ingredient: the idea. However, Franco and his collaborators Praxis, have placed an unhealthy emphasis on the price of the ideas. It seems like the main goal is to sell the ideas, as if someone buying the "artwork" validates it or truly makes it real. In every description I have come across, they always mention that it is for "sale". Why is this so crucial to the idea? Because people place value on things (or non-things) that have monetary value.

Museum  of Non-visible Art

This emphasis on monetary value over intellectual or cultural value is even reflected in America's higher education system. People are going to college not really to learn for the sake of learning, but to get a good job to make good money. And most colleges reinforce this idea. Society's priorities are misplaced; they definitely do not encourage deep thought. I think this is a major reason that ideas seem to be in the decline.

I believe this a problem in society. Money, in a sense, acts as a roadblock to progress, at least to intellectual progress. The attitude that anything that doesn't make money isn't worth the time or attention is dangerous; it closes peoples minds.