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
501
American politics after Christianity, with Ross...
74 min
502
Why Gov. Jay Inslee is running for president on...
62 min
503
ICYMI: Julia Galef
88 min
504
The roots of extremism, with Deeyah Khan
79 min
505
ICYMI: Paul Krugman
94 min
506
Pop music can make you smarter
21 min
507
Life after climate change, with David Wallace-W...
69 min
508
Pramila Jayapal thinks we can get to Medicare-f...
54 min
509
Noah Rothman on the "unjustice" of social justi...
67 min
510
Why should we care about deficits?
62 min
511
Anniversary special: Rachel Maddow
98 min
512
Andrew Sullivan and I work out our differences
121 min
513
The core contradiction of American politics
63 min
514
Leftists vs. liberals, with Elizabeth Bruenig
76 min
515
The world according to Ralph Nader
80 min
516
This conversation will change how you understan...
131 min
517
Ending the age of animal cruelty, with Bruce Fr...
75 min
518
Robert Sapolsky on the toxic intersection of po...
75 min
519
Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is irrational
57 min
520
Sean Decatur doesn’t see a free speech crisis o...
75 min
521
Cal Newport has an answer for digital burnout
66 min
522
Eric Holder’s plan to save democracy
60 min
523
Anil Dash on the biases of tech
77 min
524
Jill Lepore on America’s two revolutions
90 min
525
Best of: N.K. Jemisin
80 min