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
276
The Fortress of Solitude saw it all coming
Constance Grady talks with author Jonathan Lethem about his prescient 2003 novel
34 min
277
The Philosophers: Stoic revival
59 min
278
Station Eleven's creator on the end of the world
Showrunner Patrick Somerville on why hope is necessary for survival
47 min
279
The racist origins of fat phobia
49 min
280
The fight for Ukraine — and democracy
49 min
281
The war on trans people
49 min
282
Michael Ian Black on being a better man
50 min
283
Carmen Maria Machado's haunted feminine
36 min
284
The rise and fall of America's monuments
45 min
285
The Philosophers: America's philosophy, with Co...
55 min
286
Why accidents aren't accidental
47 min
287
Rethinking the "end of history"
56 min
288
Anita Hill finally gets even
55 min
289
Elites have captured identity politics
52 min
290
The moral dangers of dirty work
54 min
291
Did the sexual revolution go wrong?
53 min
292
Who decides how to conserve nature?
55 min
293
The Philosophers: Loneliness and totalitarianism
58 min
294
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 4: The fut...
59 min
295
Michael Lewis on why Americans distrust experts
52 min
296
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 3: The nuc...
51 min
297
The case for regret
45 min
298
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 2: Sanctions
56 min
299
The spirituality of parenting
43 min
300
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 1: Why did...
55 min