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
201
Carmen Maria Machado's haunted feminine
36 min
202
The rise and fall of America's monuments
45 min
203
The Philosophers: America's philosophy, with Co...
55 min
204
Why accidents aren't accidental
47 min
205
Rethinking the "end of history"
56 min
206
Anita Hill finally gets even
55 min
207
Elites have captured identity politics
52 min
208
The moral dangers of dirty work
54 min
209
Did the sexual revolution go wrong?
53 min
210
Who decides how to conserve nature?
55 min
211
The Philosophers: Loneliness and totalitarianism
58 min
212
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 4: The fut...
59 min
213
Michael Lewis on why Americans distrust experts
52 min
214
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 3: The nuc...
51 min
215
The case for regret
45 min
216
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 2: Sanctions
56 min
217
The spirituality of parenting
43 min
218
The War in Ukraine, Explained — Part 1: Why did...
55 min
219
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
220
What happened to American conservatism?
55 min
221
The limits of forgiveness
46 min
222
The madness behind The Method
62 min
223
David Cross is disappointed in you guys
44 min
224
Author Kiley Reid on why we read novels
42 min
225
The conversation about guns we're not having
59 min