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
In defense of white-backlash politics
96 min
502
Identity, nationalism, and fatherhood
103 min
503
An ex-libertarian’s quest to rebuild the center...
81 min
504
How whiteness distorts our democracy, with Eddi...
86 min
505
Pete Buttigieg’s theory of political change
56 min
506
Meet the policy architect behind the Green New ...
79 min
507
The somewhat fractured state of American conser...
58 min
508
American politics after Christianity, with Ross...
74 min
509
Why Gov. Jay Inslee is running for president on...
62 min
510
ICYMI: Julia Galef
88 min
511
The roots of extremism, with Deeyah Khan
79 min
512
ICYMI: Paul Krugman
94 min
513
Pop music can make you smarter
21 min
514
Life after climate change, with David Wallace-W...
69 min
515
Pramila Jayapal thinks we can get to Medicare-f...
54 min
516
Noah Rothman on the "unjustice" of social justi...
67 min
517
Why should we care about deficits?
62 min
518
Anniversary special: Rachel Maddow
98 min
519
Andrew Sullivan and I work out our differences
121 min
520
The core contradiction of American politics
63 min
521
Leftists vs. liberals, with Elizabeth Bruenig
76 min
522
The world according to Ralph Nader
80 min
523
This conversation will change how you understan...
131 min
524
Ending the age of animal cruelty, with Bruce Fr...
75 min
525
Robert Sapolsky on the toxic intersection of po...
75 min