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