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
151
Carmen Maria Machado's haunted feminine
36 min
152
The rise and fall of America's monuments
45 min
153
The Philosophers: America's philosophy, with Co...
55 min
154
Why accidents aren't accidental
47 min
155
Rethinking the "end of history"
56 min
156
Anita Hill finally gets even
55 min
157
Elites have captured identity politics
52 min
158
The moral dangers of dirty work
54 min
159
Did the sexual revolution go wrong?
53 min
160
Who decides how to conserve nature?
55 min
161
The Philosophers: Loneliness and totalitarianism
58 min
162
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 4: The fut...
59 min
163
Michael Lewis on why Americans distrust experts
52 min
164
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 3: The nuc...
51 min
165
The case for regret
45 min
166
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 2: Sanctions
56 min
167
The spirituality of parenting
43 min
168
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 1: Why did...
55 min
169
The Philosophers: Resisting despair
How can Albert Camus help us understand the war in Ukraine, post-pandemic life, and the absurdity of our modern world?
51 min
170
What happened to American conservatism?
55 min
171
The limits of forgiveness
46 min
172
The madness behind The Method
62 min
173
David Cross is disappointed in you guys
44 min
174
Author Kiley Reid on why we read novels
42 min
175
The conversation about guns we're not having
59 min