The Gray Area with Sean Illing

  • The spiritual roots of our strange relationship to work

    The pandemic caused many to rethink our relationship to work. But how did that relationship develop in the first place? Sean Illing talks with George Blaustein, professor of American Studies, about the legacy and influence…


  • Mysteries of the mind

    What do we know — and what don’t we know — about how the human mind works? Sean Illing talks with Paul Bloom, professor of psychology and author of the new book Psych: The Story…


  • Why we can’t just blame capitalism for everything

    There are many debates within the American left, but the fundamental dispute is over the viability of the current system. Part of the left wants a revolution, and part wants reform. Sean Illing is joined…


  • Being human in the age of AI

    Will AI change what it means to be human? Sean Illing talks with essayist Meghan O’Gieblyn, author of God, Human, Animal, Machine, a book about how the way we understand human nature has been interwoven…


  • A philosopher’s psychedelic encounter with reality

    Why don’t more philosophers take psychedelic drugs seriously as a means of examining reality? Sean Illing talks with Justin Smith-Ruiu, professor of philosophy, whose recent essay “This Is a Philosopher on Drugs” tells of how…


  • The project of Socratic love with Agnes Callard

    What happens when you apply the Socratic method to personal relationships? Philosopher Agnes Callard joins Sean Illing to discuss how Socrates inspires her public philosophy project —including the decision to share the details of her…


  • The chemistry of connection

    Could our brains make us less lonely? Sean Illing talks with psychiatrist and author Julie Holland, whose new book Good Chemistry takes on the crisis of disconnectedness we face today. They discuss the brain chemistry…


  • What a slow civil war looks like

    Sean Illing is joined by reporter Jeff Sharlet, whose new book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War takes readers on the ground across America right now, as all kinds of people seem to…


  • How to listen

    Most of us don’t know how to truly listen, and it’s causing all sorts of problems. Sean Illing is joined by journalist Kate Murphy, the author of You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why…


  • Why we can’t give up on persuasion

    Sean Illing is joined by Anand Giridharadas, author of The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy. Together they discuss how polarity is a threat to our democracy, the…