Ideas

A hundred years ago homework was described as a 'sin against childhood.' But the practice is still a staple of our education system. Some parents like Dawn Quelch took a stand and banned it from their home. IDEAS examines the ideological roots of homework and the shift in thinking about child psychology and development.

What happens when original artworks become endless copies? German philosopher Walter Benjamin called it the death of "aura," and his concept predicted our digital age. He describes "aura" as the energy that encases an object, and argued standing before the presence of a great artwork was transcendent. His ideas continue to flourish in university settings around the world. *This episode originally aired on Oct. 2, 2025.

Pope Leo XIV has been deeply influenced by St. Augustine, and so, the fourth-century titan of Western thought has re-entered the global conversation. IDEAS producer Seán Foley speaks to Canadian scholars who have read St. Augustine closely to determine how Augustine’s thought and character might shape the Catholic Church in these times. *This episode originally aired on Sept. 5, 2025.

In pre-independence India, activist B.R. Ambedkar said India would never be free unless caste was eradicated. Today, India is rife with an aggressive majoritarianism that sees India as a Hindu nation. Could Ambedkar have saved India from its fate? *This episode is part two in a two-part series. It originally aired on Oct. 6, 2020.

Gandhi envisioned a free India as a place of communal harmony where each person understood duty and sacrifice. Today, India is rife with an aggressive majoritarianism that sees India as a Hindu nation. IDEAS explores if Gandhi's vision was ever enough and asks if Gandhi and his values still have a place in today's idea of India? *This episode originally aired on Oct. 5, 2020.