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
301
What's your status?
51 min
302
Is there a hack for enlightenment?
59 min
303
Fighting a world on fire with fire
56 min
304
Revolutionary Love
51 min
305
How to make meaning out of suffering
52 min
306
Ken Burns's latest on The Greatest
62 min
307
The road from 9/11 to Donald Trump
62 min
308
Rep. Pramila Jayapal on immigrants and America ...
45 min
309
Why America's obsession with rights is wrong
52 min
310
The news is by — and for — rich, white liberals
57 min
311
Clint Smith III on confronting the legacy of sl...
55 min
312
Was the cruelty the point?
55 min
313
How seashells shaped the world — and predict ou...
52 min
314
Bill Maher on free speech, comedy, and his haters
45 min
315
Robert Reich wants you to take on the system
48 min
316
Marty Baron on the future of news
49 min
317
The death of cool
43 min
318
We need to talk about UFOs. Seriously.
Professor Alex Wendt tells Sean Illing why he thinks the aliens might already be here
57 min
319
Philadelphia's progressive prosecutor
District attorney Larry Krasner talks about his reform agenda, rising gun violence, and how to take on the system
49 min
320
Fareed Zakaria on the fate of democracy
65 min
321
Jane Goodall on the power of hope
The world's foremost expert on chimps wants us to remember we're animals, too
56 min
322
Why we love drugs
Michael Pollan on humans, plants, and the coming psychedelic revolution
58 min
323
The rugged majesty of revision
Jamil Smith in conversation with author Kiese Laymon on revision, restoration, and repair
54 min
324
How to forgive
53 min
325
What makes a great conversation?
Hosts Sean Illing and Jamil Smith introduce themselves and reintroduce Vox Conversations, a podcast exploring big ideas and hard questions together with bright minds and deep thinkers.
21 min