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
176
Michael Ian Black on being a better man
50 min
177
Carmen Maria Machado's haunted feminine
36 min
178
The rise and fall of America's monuments
45 min
179
The Philosophers: America's philosophy, with Co...
55 min
180
Why accidents aren't accidental
47 min
181
Rethinking the "end of history"
56 min
182
Anita Hill finally gets even
55 min
183
Elites have captured identity politics
52 min
184
The moral dangers of dirty work
54 min
185
Did the sexual revolution go wrong?
53 min
186
Who decides how to conserve nature?
55 min
187
The Philosophers: Loneliness and totalitarianism
58 min
188
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 4: The fut...
59 min
189
Michael Lewis on why Americans distrust experts
52 min
190
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 3: The nuc...
51 min
191
The case for regret
45 min
192
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 2: Sanctions
56 min
193
The spirituality of parenting
43 min
194
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 1: Why did...
55 min
195
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
196
What happened to American conservatism?
55 min
197
The limits of forgiveness
46 min
198
The madness behind The Method
62 min
199
David Cross is disappointed in you guys
44 min
200
Author Kiley Reid on why we read novels
42 min