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