Ideas CBC Discover & Learn
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- Society & Culture
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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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The history of bombing civilians — and why it’s still a military tactic
The bombing of civilians has been called one of the "great scandals" of modern warfare. So why, despite nearly a century of drafting laws and signing conventions protecting the sanctity of human life, does bombing civilians remain a widespread military tactic?
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Humboldt's Ghost, Pt 2: The meaning of education
IDEAS continues to explore Wilhelm von Humboldt’s public education system with guests, including acclaimed author Gabor Maté, who is a former English teacher. Is this 200-year-old system equipped to meet the challenging demands of the 21st century? And does it still reflect Humboldt’s ideals, especially at the university level? *This is part two of a two-part series.
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Humboldt's Ghost, Pt 1: Origins of our 200 year-old public education system
Two hundred years ago, Wilhelm von Humboldt created the public education system as we know it today. At the heart of his philosophy of education was the concept of Bildung — reaching one's inner potential. Yet over the years, as his public education system was adopted, Bildung may well have been the critical piece left out. *This is part one of a two-part series.
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The 2000 CBC Massey Lectures: The Rights Revolution by Michael Ignatieff
In his 2000 Massey Lectures on The Rights Revolution, Michael Ignatieff confronted the conflicted rise of human rights language in Canadian and global politics. "Has the rights revolution brought us closer together as a nation, or driven us further apart?" he asks in his final Massey lecture. We revisit this talk, as part of our series marking the 60th anniversary of Massey College.
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Massey at 60: Michael Ignatieff on how human rights language has shaped Canadian politics
Twenty-four years ago, Massey lecturer Michael Ignatieff delivered five talks that explored the powerful rise of the language of 'rights' in Canada and other industrialized nations. Michael Ignatieff speaks with former IDEAS host Paul Kennedy to reflect on his talks — and how the rights revolution continues to shape politics today, often in unexpected ways. *This episode is part of an ongoing series of episodes marking the 60th anniversary of Massey College, a partner in the Massey Lectures.
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Bonus | 2024 Massey lecturer Ian Williams on courageous conversations and taking risks
We've dropped this bonus podcast into the feed to announce that Canadian writer Ian Williams is this year’s Massey lecturer. He spoke with Q host Tom Power to tell us why he’s chosen the topic of 'conversations' for his lecture series, how listening can be a courageous act, and why he believes it’s important to have difficult conversations, even at the risk of offending people.
Customer Reviews
Great Show
Always enjoy topics presented and great interview partners are picked. I’ve learned a lot from various episodes. Listening from Germany.
Architecture of war and peace
Excellent story told thru the lens of many.
Sidney Hart
We are stuffed to our gills with podcasts these days but IDEAS, which I guess is a radio show on Canada and is available everywhere else as a podcast, is one of the oldest and still one of the most thought provoking in its choice and treatment of subjects. Perhaps Canada doesn’t have much to show for itself in glorious civilization achievements but this modesty has been turned to its advantage because it can approach other cultures’ achievements with an open mind. I am particularly struck role played by the Palestinian-Canadian host Nahlah Ayed. She brings a Muslim sensibility and a Muslim bias to so many of the topics. I can think of no other country’s flagship radio station that has given so much prominence to Islamic culture and thought. I mean that as a compliment.