DEFINING THE BATTLE OF IDEAS 

IN THE FIELD OF POLITICS – a battle of ideas is a confrontation between the ideologies that nations and political groups deploy to promote their domestic and foreign interests. 

The battle of ideas is in reality the battle to occupy a favourable and/or sympathetic space in the public mind: 

1. This ideological contestation is about winning the hearts and minds of the people. 
2. The objective here is to promote certain ideas over and above others 
3. Waging a war of ideas can involve a multipronged approach  – and using a variety of communication platforms

POLITICALLY  This is a clash of visions, concepts, and images,  especially  their interpretation they serve a political, socio-cultural, or economic purpose, and they involve hostile intentions or hostile acts. 

1. They are, indeed, genuine wars, even though the physical violence might be minimal,  
2. Waging a war of ideas -4 categories (i) intellectual debates, (ii) ideological wars, (iii) wars over religious dogma, and (iv) advertising campaigns.
3.  The BATTLE OF IDEAS is essentially about power and influence