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. From the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Philosophy
Politics
News Commentary
226
The Fortress of Solitude saw it all coming
Constance Grady talks with author Jonathan Lethem about his prescient 2003 novel
34 min
227
The Philosophers: Stoic revival
59 min
228
Station Eleven's creator on the end of the world
Showrunner Patrick Somerville on why hope is necessary for survival
47 min
229
The racist origins of fat phobia
49 min
230
The fight for Ukraine — and democracy
49 min
231
The war on trans people
49 min
232
Michael Ian Black on being a better man
50 min
233
Carmen Maria Machado's haunted feminine
36 min
234
The rise and fall of America's monuments
45 min
235
The Philosophers: America's philosophy, with Co...
55 min
236
Why accidents aren't accidental
47 min
237
Rethinking the "end of history"
56 min
238
Anita Hill finally gets even
55 min
239
Elites have captured identity politics
52 min
240
The moral dangers of dirty work
54 min
241
Did the sexual revolution go wrong?
53 min
242
Who decides how to conserve nature?
55 min
243
The Philosophers: Loneliness and totalitarianism
58 min
244
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 4: The fut...
59 min
245
Michael Lewis on why Americans distrust experts
52 min
246
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 3: The nuc...
51 min
247
The case for regret
45 min
248
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 2: Sanctions
56 min
249
The spirituality of parenting
43 min
250
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 1: Why did...
55 min