227 episodes
Ideas CBC Discover & Learn
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- Society & Culture
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4.6 • 246 Ratings
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IDEAS is a deep-dive into contemporary thought and intellectual history. No topic is off-limits. In the age of clickbait and superficial headlines, it's for people who like to think.
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Walking Among the Ancients: The Rare Wabanaki-Acadian Old-Growth Forest
The World Wildlife Fund lists the Wabanaki-Acadian old-growth forest as endangered — with only one percent remaining. The Wabanaki-Acadian forest stretches from parts of the Maritimes and Southern Quebec down into New England states. IDEAS explores the beauty and complexity of this ancient forest.
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BBC Reith Lectures: Artificial Democracy
IDEAS presents the first of the BBC Reith Lectures delivered by Ben Ansell. The Oxford professor and author of Why Politics Fails examines the threats facing modern democracy, how artificial intelligence can distort its integrity, and how politicians can invest in a democratic future.
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Bring Back Grumpy George: The Forgotten Message of George Grant
Canadian philosopher George Grant was known for his pessimism, and is best known for his book Lament for a Nation: The Defeat of Canadian Nationalism. PhD student Bryan Heystee makes the case to revive Grantian philosophy and make it work for the 21st century. *This episode originally aired on Dec. 6, 2023.
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A Walk of Remembrance: Honouring Canadian soldiers who helped liberate the Netherlands
In a powerful act of remembrance, a group of Canadians participated in a pilgrimage to the Netherlands to commemorate their fathers, grandfathers and uncles who helped to liberate the country from the Nazis. Producer Alisa Seigel shares their journey. *This episode originally aired on May 1, 2023.
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On Culture Wars in Christianity
The 'culture wars' have been a staple of modern politics for decades now. They are especially entrenched within Christian communities. Philosopher and author James K. A. Smith has a radical prescription to move beyond this: the church needs more mystics.
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China's Cultural Revolution: a history that remains widely unknown
The Cultural Revolution is everywhere felt in China today, but rarely if ever talked about openly. But prize-winning historian Tania Branigan tries to fill in the historical silences with voices both past and present in her book, Red Memory.
Customer Reviews
Papyrus
Thank you for the Irene Vallejo interview! The book is wonderful and it’s great to see someone in North America interview her! Brava!
Great Show
Always enjoy topics presented and great interview partners are picked. I’ve learned a lot from various episodes. Listening from Germany.
Where are the ideas?
There is a unique amount of discouragement and helplessness in these episodes; it might be expected that ideas worth investigating ought to at least occasionally exhilarate, surprise, liberate, or point to joy and mirth in some form or another. Solemnity and worrying and being troubled are not the same as taking something seriously, and raising one’s voice is surely not curiosity. Rarely has anyone ever answered a question with a question on this show, which would indicate a form of engagement resembling a solution-oriented process and therefore approaching an idea. I am not trying to be merely pedantic and obtuse to get the point across here: this kind of discourse is toxic and fueling much of what it purports to address with mild concern.