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Big ideas are a dime a dozen.

Bingo. If I set myself to doing nothing but documenting all the assorted ideas I could come up with, I would almost certainly come up with several ideas which some other person would independently produce and develop for a great deal of money. If I could demand payment for such ideas because I happened to think of first, I'd be rich.

But why should I profit just because I happened to think of something before someone else did, if I didn't do anything wiht my idea. It's not as though my thinking of it added any value to the world.

why should I profit just because I happened to think of something before someone else did, if I didn't do anything wiht my idea. It's not as though my thinking of it added any value to the world.

Simple answer. The founders, who wanted our nation to be the most economically successful on the planet, realized that mere thinking of an idea is not enough. You need to DISCLOSE it to the public (in the form of a patent) in order that ideas may be disseminated, and shared in the long run.