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
251
The Fortress of Solitude saw it all coming
Constance Grady talks with author Jonathan Lethem about his prescient 2003 novel
34 min
252
The Philosophers: Stoic revival
59 min
253
Station Eleven's creator on the end of the world
Showrunner Patrick Somerville on why hope is necessary for survival
47 min
254
The racist origins of fat phobia
49 min
255
The fight for Ukraine — and democracy
49 min
256
The war on trans people
49 min
257
Michael Ian Black on being a better man
50 min
258
Carmen Maria Machado's haunted feminine
36 min
259
The rise and fall of America's monuments
45 min
260
The Philosophers: America's philosophy, with Co...
55 min
261
Why accidents aren't accidental
47 min
262
Rethinking the "end of history"
56 min
263
Anita Hill finally gets even
55 min
264
Elites have captured identity politics
52 min
265
The moral dangers of dirty work
54 min
266
Did the sexual revolution go wrong?
53 min
267
Who decides how to conserve nature?
55 min
268
The Philosophers: Loneliness and totalitarianism
58 min
269
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 4: The fut...
59 min
270
Michael Lewis on why Americans distrust experts
52 min
271
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 3: The nuc...
51 min
272
The case for regret
45 min
273
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 2: Sanctions
56 min
274
The spirituality of parenting
43 min
275
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 1: Why did...
55 min