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
226
Why we can't pay attention anymore
59 min
227
Democracy in crisis, part 1: Ross Douthat isn't...
First in a two-part series on the dangers facing American democracy, hosted by Zack Beauchamp
60 min
228
Pod Save the Democrats
55 min
229
A Yellowjackets creator spills his guts
39 min
230
A scientist's case for "woo-woo"
55 min
231
Imagine a future with no police
59 min
232
Novelist Lauren Groff on the other Matrix
42 min
233
Are we living in a simulation?
Philosopher David Chalmers on the question: what is reality, anyway?
63 min
234
Rep. Jamie Raskin on living through the unthink...
52 min
235
Best of: Why fascism in America isn't going away
44 min
236
Best of: Clint Smith III on confronting the leg...
56 min
237
Best of: We need to talk about UFOs. Seriously.
Professor Alex Wendt tells Sean Illing why he thinks the aliens might already be here
57 min
238
Chris Bosh on winning (and losing everything)
53 min
239
The cult of toughness
61 min
240
Is ethical investing a scam?
52 min
241
The good life is painful
49 min
242
The father of environmental justice
45 min
243
Jill Lepore on Elon Musk's imaginary world
57 min
244
E.O. Wilson's plan to save the world
51 min
245
Workers of the world, stay home!
57 min
246
How progressives get back in the game
57 min
247
The highs and lows of the "creator economy"
44 min
248
Why Chris Hayes thinks we're all famous now
55 min
249
The stories soul food tells
45 min
250
The paradox of American freedom
51 min