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
What Don't Look Up is really about
The film's co-writer doesn't think it was smug.
56 min
202
Democracy in crisis, part 2: The two-party problem
53 min
203
Why we can't pay attention anymore
59 min
204
Democracy in crisis, part 1: Ross Douthat isn't...
First in a two-part series on the dangers facing American democracy, hosted by Zack Beauchamp
60 min
205
Pod Save the Democrats
55 min
206
A Yellowjackets creator spills his guts
39 min
207
A scientist's case for "woo-woo"
55 min
208
Imagine a future with no police
59 min
209
Novelist Lauren Groff on the other Matrix
42 min
210
Are we living in a simulation?
Philosopher David Chalmers on the question: what is reality, anyway?
63 min
211
Rep. Jamie Raskin on living through the unthink...
52 min
212
Best of: Why fascism in America isn't going away
44 min
213
Best of: Clint Smith III on confronting the leg...
56 min
214
Best of: We need to talk about UFOs. Seriously.
Professor Alex Wendt tells Sean Illing why he thinks the aliens might already be here
57 min
215
Chris Bosh on winning (and losing everything)
53 min
216
The cult of toughness
61 min
217
Is ethical investing a scam?
52 min
218
The good life is painful
49 min
219
The father of environmental justice
45 min
220
Jill Lepore on Elon Musk's imaginary world
57 min
221
E.O. Wilson's plan to save the world
51 min
222
Workers of the world, stay home!
57 min
223
How progressives get back in the game
57 min
224
The highs and lows of the "creator economy"
44 min
225
Why Chris Hayes thinks we're all famous now
55 min