Introduction: This Is Not an Idea

In 1929, the artist René Magritte famously painted a picture of a pipe, along with the words ‘ceci n’est pas une pipe’ [‘this is not a pipe’]. Not an actual pipe then, just an illustration of one. In a similar vein, with this book, we present an idea. An idea about ideas. But, at the same time, we firmly believe that ‘this is not an idea’ – instead, it’s a manifesto for how to usher in a world of ideas. Being picky, you might ask ‘what’s the difference?’. Well, in a reversal of Magritte, our text is concerned with the use of ideas. Ideas, until acted on, are abstract. This book, on the other hand, provides a blueprint for how an ongoing engagement with ideas can (and should) become a positive bedrock of modern life and, to go one step further, shows why engaging with ideas will be the only thing that, in the not-too-distant future, defines what it means to be human. The converse for Magritte, of course, was that both ideas and pictures are an abstract. A pipe, though, is a real object with a purpose – something to be smoked. So just like his picture could not ‘be’ an actual pipe, our book goes beyond being a mere concept. It extends into the real world, with an aim to make a difference. But let’s not digress…