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... more
Sean Illing speaks with poet and historian Jennifer Michael Hecht, whose book The Wonder Paradox asks: If we don't have... more
How is the origin of our universe like an improvised saxophone solo? This week, Sean Illing talks to Stephon Alexander,... more
Sean Illing talks with Glory Liu, the author of Adam Smith’s America: How a Scottish Philosopher became an Icon of American Capitalism.... more
Sean Illing speaks with marriage and family therapist Vienna Pharaon, whose book 'The Origins of You' aims to help us... more
In an Orwellian twist, the word “Orwellian” has been misused so much over the decades that it’s essentially lost its... more
The US Constitution is a brilliant political document, but it’s far from perfect. This week’s guest, Erwin Chemerinsky, argues that... more
You can’t drop an f-bomb on the radio, but fortunately for our guest, you can say anything you want in... more
Sean Illing talks with political science professor Matt McManus about the political thought of Friedrich Nietzsche, the 19th-century German philosopher... more
Authoritarian tendencies have been on the rise globally and the liberal world order is on the decline. One hotspot of... more
We’re living in an era of extreme partisan politics, rising resentment, and fractured news media. Writer John Ganz believes that... more