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
326
The crisis isn’t Trump. It’s the Republican Party.
60 min
327
The Joe Biden experience
63 min
328
Chris Hayes and I process this wild election
Polarization, polling error, and the Latino vote
59 min
329
Stacey Abrams on minority rule, voting rights, ...
In 2020, democracy is on the ballot.
65 min
330
Nate Silver on why 2020 isn't 2016
The Wizard of Odds on 2016's mistakes, polling error, and Trump's chances
65 min
331
Sarah Kliff grades Biden and Trump's health car...
Sarah Kliff and I wonk out on the 2020 healthcare stakes
73 min
332
Trumpism never existed. It was always just Trump.
American Affairs editor Julius Krein on Donald Trump and the decay of the American right
55 min
333
What should Democrats do about the Supreme Court?
Ganesh Sitaraman on court packing, democracy reform, and the future of the Democratic Party
81 min
334
Marilynne Robinson on writing, metaphysics, and...
A joyful, cathartic conversation with Marilynne Robinson
70 min
335
The case for Trump’s foreign policy
Rebeccah Heinrichs on great power competition, China, and how Trump sees the world
68 min
336
Fareed Zakaria on how Biden and Trump see the w...
The scholar and pundit discusses China, American exceptionalism, and foreign policy
76 min
337
How a climate bill becomes a reality
How to craft a climate bill that will actually work
82 min
338
The meat we eat affects us all
The human costs of eating meat
33 min
339
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
340
A radical — or obvious? — plan to save American...
Lee Drutman's case against America's two party system
66 min
341
RBG, minority rule, and our looming legitimacy ...
Political scientist Suzanne Mettler on whether American democracy will survive 2020
70 min
342
David French and I debate polarization, secessi...
Competing paths to solve our polarization crisis
87 min
343
The Matt Yglesias Show
Vox's Matt Yglesias on Twitter, climate change, and one billion Americans
88 min
344
Race, policing, and the universal yearning for ...
52 min
345
How to think about coronavirus risk in your life
Julia Marcus on how to make important life decisions in a pandemic
64 min
346
Black Republicans, Donald Trump, and America's ...
83 min
347
Andrew Yang on UBI, coronavirus, and his next j...
The 2020 candidate on how to fix the economy, and the government
83 min
348
Why the hell did America invade Iraq?
The enduring relevance of America's disastrous Iraq invasion.
79 min
349
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
350
Isabel Wilkerson wants to change how we underst...
A new way of thinking about race and class
93 min