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
276
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
277
Best of: Ending the age of animal cruelty, with...
75 min
278
Best of: The moral philosophy of The Good Place
98 min
279
Best of: Michael Lewis reads my mind
101 min
280
Best of: Tracy K. Smith changed how I read poetry
85 min
281
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
282
Best of: An inspiring conversation about democr...
67 min
283
Michael Pollan on the psychedelic society
70 min
284
Best of: Robert Sapolsky on the toxic intersect...
75 min
285
Joe Biden and "the new progressivism"
58 min
286
Best of: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is i...
57 min
287
The most important book I've read this year
91 min
288
Best of: Alison Gopnik changed how I think abou...
92 min
289
Best of: Vivek Murthy on America’s loneliness e...
76 min
290
What Democrats got wrong about Hispanic voters
60 min
291
Antitrust, censorship, misinformation, and the ...
How 2020 changed Facebook and Twitter for the better
55 min
292
The crisis isn’t Trump. It’s the Republican Party.
60 min
293
The Joe Biden experience
63 min
294
Chris Hayes and I process this wild election
Polarization, polling error, and the Latino vote
59 min
295
Stacey Abrams on minority rule, voting rights, ...
In 2020, democracy is on the ballot.
65 min
296
Nate Silver on why 2020 isn't 2016
The Wizard of Odds on 2016's mistakes, polling error, and Trump's chances
65 min
297
Sarah Kliff grades Biden and Trump's health car...
Sarah Kliff and I wonk out on the 2020 healthcare stakes
73 min
298
Trumpism never existed. It was always just Trump.
American Affairs editor Julius Krein on Donald Trump and the decay of the American right
55 min
299
What should Democrats do about the Supreme Court?
Ganesh Sitaraman on court packing, democracy reform, and the future of the Democratic Party
81 min
300
Marilynne Robinson on writing, metaphysics, and...
A joyful, cathartic conversation with Marilynne Robinson
70 min