Simone Weil was a radical thinker who had a solution to address the fascism that surged across Europe in the aftermath of the First World War: abolish political parties. She argued political parties were not democratic, they were dangerous. With the help of a former politician and other guests, IDEAS producer Nicola Luksic explores the French philosopher's enduring insights to help us better understand the current political climate. *This episode originally aired on Oct. 20, 2025.

Guests in this episode:

Kathryn Lawson is a faculty fellow at Kings Universy College in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Scott Ritner is a political theorist and Simone Weil scholar. He teaches political science and first-year writing at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Michael Ignatieff is a professor of historical studies at the Central European University in Vienna. He was the head of the CEU when it was based in Budapest. Ignatieff is also the former leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and he led the official opposition in the House of Commons from 2008 to 2011.

It's safe to say right now the majority of us are feeling the pinch. Grocery and fuel prices are on the rise and the income gap between the wealthy, and everyone else, continues to grow. And yet, aside from the U.S., Canada is the strongest economy of the G7. A prosperous country doesn't necessarily translate to a fuller wallet for its citizens. Host Nahlah Ayed and panelists discuss how 'prosperity' should be defined and how that can be achieved.

Guests in this episode:

Hon. Lisa Raitt is a former Conservative cabinet minister, who now co-chairs the Canadian Coalition for a Better Future.

Zita Cobb is a Fogo Island entrepreneur, founder of Shorefast which supports local economies and community development.

Kaylie Tiessen is the chief economist at the Shield Institute.

A young generation of thinkers is trading in the bread and butter of social media branding — lifestyle, beauty, and consumption — for intellectual content. They focus on the big questions to help followers think about a world where they can't find jobs, are overloaded with debt, and see violence everywhere. It's the kind of education money can't buy.

Guests in this episode:

Isabella Segalovich (@interstellar_isabellar)

Ahmad Sanhouri (@conflictechoes)

Louisa Munch (@louisamunchtheory)