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
426
The Constitution is a progressive document
Gerrymandering, constitutionalism, and the future of the Supreme Court
56 min
427
Matt Bruenig’s case for single-payer health care
Ezra interviews Matt Bruenig
119 min
428
Can Raj Chetty save the American dream?
Ezra chats with Raj Chetty about the fading American dream.
77 min
429
Astra Taylor will change how you think about de...
Is democracy even possible? A conversation with Astra Taylor
76 min
430
Is big tech addictive? Nir Eyal and I debate.
Is big tech addictive? Nir Eyal and Ezra debate.
73 min
431
Generation Climate Change
Ezra sits down with Varshini Prakash of Sunrise Movement
91 min
432
Is the media amplifying Trump’s racism? (with W...
Ezra interviews Whitney Phillips
82 min
433
Rutger Bregman’s utopias, and mine
Ezra interviews Rutger Bregman
86 min
434
How white identity politics won the Republican ...
83 min
435
George Will makes the conservative case against...
70 min
436
What deliberative democracy can, and can’t, do ...
Ezra interviews Jane Mansbridge
51 min
437
Rod Dreher on America’s post-Christian culture ...
110 min
438
White threat in a browning America (Jennifer Ri...
73 min
439
Behind the panic in white, Christian America
91 min
440
An enlightening, frustrating conversation on li...
105 min
441
The cognitive cost of poverty (with Sendhil Mul...
93 min
442
Failing towards Utopia
20 min
443
Why liberals and conservatives create such diff...
90 min
444
Stacey Abrams and Lauren Groh-Wargo (Live!)
59 min
445
This changed how I think about love (with Aliso...
93 min
446
The plan behind Elizabeth Warren’s plans
49 min
447
Michael Lewis reads my mind
101 min
448
How Mitch McConnell convinced Michael Bennet to...
73 min
449
How the brains of master meditators change
68 min
450
Why good people are easily corrupted (with Lawr...
79 min