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
What should Democrats do about the Supreme Court?
Ganesh Sitaraman on court packing, democracy reform, and the future of the Democratic Party
81 min
302
Marilynne Robinson on writing, metaphysics, and...
A joyful, cathartic conversation with Marilynne Robinson
70 min
303
The case for Trump’s foreign policy
Rebeccah Heinrichs on great power competition, China, and how Trump sees the world
68 min
304
Fareed Zakaria on how Biden and Trump see the w...
The scholar and pundit discusses China, American exceptionalism, and foreign policy
76 min
305
How a climate bill becomes a reality
How to craft a climate bill that will actually work
82 min
306
The meat we eat affects us all
The human costs of eating meat
33 min
307
A dark, dangerous debate
In a special, post-debate episode, I'm joined by Matt Yglesias to discuss the most unnerving presidential debate I've ever seen.
68 min
308
A radical — or obvious? — plan to save American...
Lee Drutman's case against America's two party system
66 min
309
RBG, minority rule, and our looming legitimacy ...
Political scientist Suzanne Mettler on whether American democracy will survive 2020
70 min
310
David French and I debate polarization, secessi...
Competing paths to solve our polarization crisis
87 min
311
The Matt Yglesias Show
Vox's Matt Yglesias on Twitter, climate change, and one billion Americans
88 min
312
Race, policing, and the universal yearning for ...
52 min
313
How to think about coronavirus risk in your life
Julia Marcus on how to make important life decisions in a pandemic
64 min
314
Black Republicans, Donald Trump, and America's ...
83 min
315
Andrew Yang on UBI, coronavirus, and his next j...
The 2020 candidate on how to fix the economy, and the government
83 min
316
Why the hell did America invade Iraq?
The enduring relevance of America's disastrous Iraq invasion.
79 min
317
How to decarbonize America — and create 25 mill...
The US has the technology to decarbonize by 2035. Here's a plan to do it.
65 min
318
Isabel Wilkerson wants to change how we underst...
A new way of thinking about race and class
93 min
319
What it would take to end child poverty in America
Rep. Barbara Lee on why rebuilding the economy means investing in our kids
48 min
320
Hannah Gadsby on comedy, free speech, and livin...
How Hannah Gadsby's mind works
88 min
321
What would Keynes do?
What the 20th century’s most influential economist can teach us about rebuilding the US economy
98 min
322
A devastating indictment of the Republican Party
An insider perspective on the GOP’s march to Trumpism
56 min
323
How inequality and white identity politics feed...
Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson on the conservative dilemma
73 min
324
Best of: Jia Tolentino on what happens when lif...
The New Yorker writer explains how technology has transformed the very nature of human interaction
100 min
325
Dadding out with Mike Birbiglia
73 min