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.
151
Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s
Sean Ililing talks with author Nicole Hemmer, who shows how the GOP became what it is today
60 min
152
Yuval Noah Harari thinks humans are unstoppable
Sean is joined by Yuval Noah Harari, whose bestselling books take a zoomed-out view of the history of human beings — and a glimpse at what our future might hold
56 min
153
Dying with dignity
Sean Illing talks with journalist Katie Engelhart about the morality and legality of physician-assisted dying — asking what a death with dignity really looks like
54 min
154
Finding hope in a world on the brink
Sean talks with philosopher and psychoanalyst Jonathan Lear about how to keep flourishing as human beings in a world that feels like it's falling apart all around us
53 min
155
The new American Reconstruction
Sean Illing talks with author and historian Peniel Joseph about whether we're living in a new era of reconstruction, and the two warring ideas shaping American history
61 min
156
Is America losing its religion?
Sean is joined by religious scholar and bestselling author Reza Aslan to discuss the state of religion in America today
48 min
157
How we got to January 6th
Sean talks with reporter Luke Mogelson, who was amongst the rioters as they broke into the Capitol on Jan. 6, about how it happened, what led up to it, and what comes next
53 min
158
Neil deGrasse Tyson gets political
America's personal astrophysicist takes on our most vexing societal problems. But can science really make political struggles disappear?
53 min
159
Introducing The Gray Area
Embrace uncertainty
1 min
160
Best of: Why America's obsession with rights is...
54 min
161
A GOP insider on why the party went Trump
56 min
162
How do we fix the harm we cause?
45 min
163
A new philosophy of love
55 min
164
The politics of 'Yellowstone'
25 min
165
How society sexualizes us
51 min
166
The Parent Trap
How society is failing parents and children
55 min
167
40 Acres: Reaching reconciliation
28 min
168
40 Acres: The old Jim Crow
43 min
169
40 Acres: $14 trillion and no mules
44 min
170
40 Acres: The original promise
49 min
171
What Clarence Thomas really thinks
And why he's the most misunderstood Supreme Court Justice, according to the author of The Enigma of Clarence Thomas
59 min
172
Even Better: Don't call it a budget
45 min
173
The quest for authenticity
Better living through the existentialism of Simone de Beauvoir
46 min
174
Even Better: Setting your boundaries
43 min
175
Your gut instinct is usually wrong
A data scientist on how to make decisions
49 min