<p>Simone Weil had a radical solution to end fascism that surged through Europe in the aftermath of the First World War: abolish political parties. She argued political parties were not democratic, they were dangerous. <em>IDEAS </em>producer Nicola Luksic explores the French philosopher's enduring insights to help us better understand the current political climate. <em>*This episode originally aired on Oct. 20, 2025.</em></p><p><br></p><p>Guests in this episode:</p><p><br></p><p>Kathryn Lawson is a faculty fellow at Kings Universy College in Halifax, Nova Scotia.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p>