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
The border, explained by someone who knows it i...
51 min
277
"Wintering," wisdom, and weathering life's dark...
62 min
278
Reframing America's race problem
49 min
279
Who owns the Western?
45 min
280
A Watchmen writer on race, TV, and tech giants
52 min
281
Uncovering the history of psychedelics in Chris...
48 min
282
Biden's immigration architect on racism, reform...
58 min
283
The Capitol Siege and American Revolution
41 min
284
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
285
The Joe Biden experience
Ezra Klein and Evan Osnos discuss our new president
61 min
286
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
287
Peter Kafka and Kevin Roose on big tech's power...
26 min
288
Sam Sanders and Olivia Nuzzi on President Trump...
41 min
289
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
290
Best of: Ending the age of animal cruelty, with...
75 min
291
Best of: The moral philosophy of The Good Place
98 min
292
Best of: Michael Lewis reads my mind
101 min
293
Best of: Tracy K. Smith changed how I read poetry
85 min
294
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
295
Best of: An inspiring conversation about democr...
67 min
296
Michael Pollan on the psychedelic society
70 min
297
Best of: Robert Sapolsky on the toxic intersect...
75 min
298
Joe Biden and "the new progressivism"
58 min
299
Best of: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is i...
57 min
300
The most important book I've read this year
91 min