The host of The Gray Area with Sean Illing podcast jokes that he's an academic pretending to be a journalist. Sean Illing started reading about philosophy when he was a paramedic in the US Air Force. He grew up believing that philosophy belonged only in academia, so that's where he also ended up. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy and political science. He also taught the subjects at Louisiana State University.
As Illing deepened his knowledge, the podcast host saw philosophy outside of the classroom. He realized that philosophy is and has always been a useful way of thinking about the world. That's where journalism came into play. He started writing for Salon and Vox about politics. In his reporting, he used philosophical ideas as his guideline.
In The Gray Area with Sean Illing, he creates a space for ambitious, open-ended conversations about the world. He wants to be able to talk without any concern about landing on the correct answers to winning a debate. It's exploring ideas without any hidden agenda or purpose. Illing wants to ask the big questions and see where it goes from there.
Episodes of the podcast are vast, like the spectrum of philosophical thinking. One episode will discuss climate change in the age of media. Another will talk about generational trauma. The experts that Illing interviews also come from a variety of disciplines. They include cultural critics, historians, and law professors. The host always seeks to have a critical discussion about the topics at hand. This results in a variety of perspectives that can expand the listener's worldview. The Gray Area with Sean Illing podcast has new episodes several times a week.
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