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
Uncovering the history of psychedelics in Chris...
48 min
252
Biden's immigration architect on racism, reform...
58 min
253
The Capitol Siege and American Revolution
41 min
254
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
255
The Joe Biden experience
Ezra Klein and Evan Osnos discuss our new president
61 min
256
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
257
Peter Kafka and Kevin Roose on big tech's power...
26 min
258
Sam Sanders and Olivia Nuzzi on President Trump...
41 min
259
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
260
Best of: Ending the age of animal cruelty, with...
75 min
261
Best of: The moral philosophy of The Good Place
98 min
262
Best of: Michael Lewis reads my mind
101 min
263
Best of: Tracy K. Smith changed how I read poetry
85 min
264
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
265
Best of: An inspiring conversation about democr...
67 min
266
Michael Pollan on the psychedelic society
70 min
267
Best of: Robert Sapolsky on the toxic intersect...
75 min
268
Joe Biden and "the new progressivism"
58 min
269
Best of: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is i...
57 min
270
The most important book I've read this year
91 min
271
Best of: Alison Gopnik changed how I think abou...
92 min
272
Best of: Vivek Murthy on America’s loneliness e...
76 min
273
What Democrats got wrong about Hispanic voters
60 min
274
Antitrust, censorship, misinformation, and the ...
How 2020 changed Facebook and Twitter for the better
55 min
275
The crisis isn’t Trump. It’s the Republican Party.
60 min