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
426
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
427
What should Democrats do about the Supreme Court?
Ganesh Sitaraman on court packing, democracy reform, and the future of the Democratic Party
81 min
428
Marilynne Robinson on writing, metaphysics, and...
A joyful, cathartic conversation with Marilynne Robinson
70 min
429
The case for Trump’s foreign policy
Rebeccah Heinrichs on great power competition, China, and how Trump sees the world
68 min
430
Fareed Zakaria on how Biden and Trump see the w...
The scholar and pundit discusses China, American exceptionalism, and foreign policy
76 min
431
How a climate bill becomes a reality
How to craft a climate bill that will actually work
82 min
432
The meat we eat affects us all
The human costs of eating meat
33 min
433
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
434
A radical — or obvious? — plan to save American...
Lee Drutman's case against America's two party system
66 min
435
RBG, minority rule, and our looming legitimacy ...
Political scientist Suzanne Mettler on whether American democracy will survive 2020
70 min
436
David French and I debate polarization, secessi...
Competing paths to solve our polarization crisis
87 min
437
The Matt Yglesias Show
Vox's Matt Yglesias on Twitter, climate change, and one billion Americans
88 min
438
Race, policing, and the universal yearning for ...
52 min
439
How to think about coronavirus risk in your life
Julia Marcus on how to make important life decisions in a pandemic
64 min
440
Black Republicans, Donald Trump, and America's ...
83 min
441
Andrew Yang on UBI, coronavirus, and his next j...
The 2020 candidate on how to fix the economy, and the government
83 min
442
Why the hell did America invade Iraq?
The enduring relevance of America's disastrous Iraq invasion.
79 min
443
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
444
Isabel Wilkerson wants to change how we underst...
A new way of thinking about race and class
93 min
445
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
446
Hannah Gadsby on comedy, free speech, and livin...
How Hannah Gadsby's mind works
88 min
447
What would Keynes do?
What the 20th century’s most influential economist can teach us about rebuilding the US economy
98 min
448
A devastating indictment of the Republican Party
An insider perspective on the GOP’s march to Trumpism
56 min
449
How inequality and white identity politics feed...
Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson on the conservative dilemma
73 min
450
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