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
The Fortress of Solitude saw it all coming
Constance Grady talks with author Jonathan Lethem about his prescient 2003 novel
34 min
152
The Philosophers: Stoic revival
59 min
153
Station Eleven's creator on the end of the world
Showrunner Patrick Somerville on why hope is necessary for survival
47 min
154
The racist origins of fat phobia
49 min
155
The fight for Ukraine — and democracy
49 min
156
The war on trans people
49 min
157
Michael Ian Black on being a better man
50 min
158
Carmen Maria Machado's haunted feminine
36 min
159
The rise and fall of America's monuments
45 min
160
The Philosophers: America's philosophy, with Co...
55 min
161
Why accidents aren't accidental
47 min
162
Rethinking the "end of history"
56 min
163
Anita Hill finally gets even
55 min
164
Elites have captured identity politics
52 min
165
The moral dangers of dirty work
54 min
166
Did the sexual revolution go wrong?
53 min
167
Who decides how to conserve nature?
55 min
168
The Philosophers: Loneliness and totalitarianism
58 min
169
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 4: The fut...
59 min
170
Michael Lewis on why Americans distrust experts
52 min
171
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 3: The nuc...
51 min
172
The case for regret
45 min
173
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 2: Sanctions
56 min
174
The spirituality of parenting
43 min
175
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 1: Why did...
55 min