Why do we believe an idea is a possession when people come up with the same ideas independently all the time?
Eastern cultures do not really have the concept of owning an idea. Why might Eastern and Western cultures have developed so differently?
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I think Allan and Shannon are right that money is a big motivator for these laws. So, it’s not just our individualistic society, but our capitalist one. I like Manas’s mom’s idea, though, that we think owning ideas gives us meaning, however naive that may be.
I think that Eastern cultures are more collectivist in nature whereas Western culture is individualistic, which fundamentally explains the difference in attitudes about idea ownership.
As for you reflective question about why these laws exist anyways: money. Simply enough.
I guess intellectual property is a staple in the American way because it’s a huge way we make money. I heard this from my econ teacher, but he said that one of America’s best exports is ideas. When we ask Siri where she was made, we hear, “I was thought up in California” or something like that. I guess it’s just money.
Dearest Eva Mei,
I believe that the idea of ownership is a very western thing, as you so intelligently stated. I think it’s unfortunate that we have learned to sell art, creativity, and beauty as though they are simply there for profit. Art should transcend the physical constraints of our world–it should be beyond money, beyond profit, beyond ownership. However, this is not the world we live in, and the spirit of western colonialism and domination overtook the more passive philosophies of the East–ones of tolerance, non-violence, and extendedly, of no true ownership. My mom always told me that ownership was a fallacy because we do not exist permanently on this earth. But we like to own our ideas because we think they’ll help us find meaning. It’s interesting to think about.
Love,
Manas