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
301
"Wintering," wisdom, and weathering life's dark...
62 min
302
Reframing America's race problem
49 min
303
Who owns the Western?
45 min
304
A Watchmen writer on race, TV, and tech giants
52 min
305
Uncovering the history of psychedelics in Chris...
48 min
306
Biden's immigration architect on racism, reform...
58 min
307
The Capitol Siege and American Revolution
41 min
308
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
309
The Joe Biden experience
Ezra Klein and Evan Osnos discuss our new president
61 min
310
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
311
Peter Kafka and Kevin Roose on big tech's power...
26 min
312
Sam Sanders and Olivia Nuzzi on President Trump...
41 min
313
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
314
Best of: Ending the age of animal cruelty, with...
75 min
315
Best of: The moral philosophy of The Good Place
98 min
316
Best of: Michael Lewis reads my mind
101 min
317
Best of: Tracy K. Smith changed how I read poetry
85 min
318
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
319
Best of: An inspiring conversation about democr...
67 min
320
Michael Pollan on the psychedelic society
70 min
321
Best of: Robert Sapolsky on the toxic intersect...
75 min
322
Joe Biden and "the new progressivism"
58 min
323
Best of: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is i...
57 min
324
The most important book I've read this year
91 min
325
Best of: Alison Gopnik changed how I think abou...
92 min