The Gray Area with Sean Illing

The Gray Area with Sean Illing takes a philosophy-minded look at culture, technology, politics, and the world of ideas. Each week, we invite a guest to explore a question or topic that matters. From the the state of democracy, to the struggle with depression and anxiety, to the nature of identity in the digital age, each episode looks for nuance and honesty in the most important conversations of our time. New episodes drop every Monday.

Philosophy
Politics
News Commentary
251
A Watchmen writer on race, TV, and tech giants
52 min
252
Uncovering the history of psychedelics in Chris...
48 min
253
Biden's immigration architect on racism, reform...
58 min
254
The Capitol Siege and American Revolution
41 min
255
Why fascism in Post-Trump America isn't going away
Vox's Sean Illing and Yale professor Jason Stanley discuss why American democracy provides such fertile soil for fascism
40 min
256
The Joe Biden experience
Ezra Klein and Evan Osnos discuss our new president
61 min
257
What it means to be a "good" rich person
Exploring the anxieties of wealthy people and their desire to be seen as "middle class."
46 min
258
Peter Kafka and Kevin Roose on big tech's power...
26 min
259
Sam Sanders and Olivia Nuzzi on President Trump...
41 min
260
Best of: We don’t just feel emotions. We make t...
A mind-blowing conversation with Lisa Feldman Barrett on how emotion is made
90 min
261
Best of: Ending the age of animal cruelty, with...
75 min
262
Best of: The moral philosophy of The Good Place
98 min
263
Best of: Michael Lewis reads my mind
101 min
264
Best of: Tracy K. Smith changed how I read poetry
85 min
265
What I’ve learned, and what comes next.
Ezra reflects on his time with Vox, what he's learned, and what comes next.
38 min
266
Best of: An inspiring conversation about democr...
67 min
267
Michael Pollan on the psychedelic society
70 min
268
Best of: Robert Sapolsky on the toxic intersect...
75 min
269
Joe Biden and "the new progressivism"
58 min
270
Best of: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is i...
57 min
271
The most important book I've read this year
91 min
272
Best of: Alison Gopnik changed how I think abou...
92 min
273
Best of: Vivek Murthy on America’s loneliness e...
76 min
274
What Democrats got wrong about Hispanic voters
60 min
275
Antitrust, censorship, misinformation, and the ...
How 2020 changed Facebook and Twitter for the better
55 min