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. From the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Philosophy
Politics
News Commentary
201
The Fortress of Solitude saw it all coming
Constance Grady talks with author Jonathan Lethem about his prescient 2003 novel
34 min
202
The Philosophers: Stoic revival
59 min
203
Station Eleven's creator on the end of the world
Showrunner Patrick Somerville on why hope is necessary for survival
47 min
204
The racist origins of fat phobia
49 min
205
The fight for Ukraine — and democracy
49 min
206
The war on trans people
49 min
207
Michael Ian Black on being a better man
50 min
208
Carmen Maria Machado's haunted feminine
36 min
209
The rise and fall of America's monuments
45 min
210
The Philosophers: America's philosophy, with Co...
55 min
211
Why accidents aren't accidental
47 min
212
Rethinking the "end of history"
56 min
213
Anita Hill finally gets even
55 min
214
Elites have captured identity politics
52 min
215
The moral dangers of dirty work
54 min
216
Did the sexual revolution go wrong?
53 min
217
Who decides how to conserve nature?
55 min
218
The Philosophers: Loneliness and totalitarianism
58 min
219
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 4: The fut...
59 min
220
Michael Lewis on why Americans distrust experts
52 min
221
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 3: The nuc...
51 min
222
The case for regret
45 min
223
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 2: Sanctions
56 min
224
The spirituality of parenting
43 min
225
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 1: Why did...
55 min