The Gray Area with Sean Illing

A philosopher's psychedelic encounter with reality

Listen Later

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 experimenting with psilocybin and other substances led to a radical reevaluation of nearly everything in his life — including his views on the nature of reality. They discuss the roots of an alternative worldview in the thought of German polymath G.W. Leibniz, what it means to say — as Socrates does — that philosophy is "preparation for death," and why psychedelics aren't more often explored in contemporary philosophy.

Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area

Guest: Justin Smith-Ruiu, philosopher; author

References: 

  • "This Is a Philosopher on Drugs" by Justin E.H. Smith (Wired; Mar. 7)
  • Justin Smith-Ruiu's Hinternet (Substack)
  • The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is by Justin E.H. Smith (Princeton; 2022)
  • "The brutal mirror: What the psychedelic drug ayahuasca showed me about my life" by Sean Illing (Vox; Nov. 2, 2019)
  • G.W. Leibniz, "The Monadology" (1714)
  • René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy (1641)
  • Irrationality: A History of the Dark Side of Reason by Justin E.H. Smith (Princeton; 2019)
  • Plato, Phaedo (for Socrates's claim that philosophy is preparation for death)
  • Reality+ by David Chalmers (W.W. Norton; 2022)
  • David Chalmers on The Gray Area (Jan. 10, 2022)
  • Justin's review of David Chalmers: "The World as a Game" (Liberties, vol. 2 no. 4)
  • "The Death of Ivan Ilych" by Leo Tolstoy (1886)
  • How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan (Penguin; 2018)


    Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of The Gray Area. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

    Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Engineer: Patrick Boyd
    • Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      The Gray Area with Sean IllingBy Vox
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5

      4.5

      10,606 ratings

      More shows like The Gray Area with Sean Illing

      View all
      Fresh Air by NPR

      Fresh Air

      38,430 Listeners

      The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The New Yorker Radio Hour

      6,881 Listeners

      On the Media by WNYC Studios

      On the Media

      9,238 Listeners

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker by The New Yorker

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker

      4,113 Listeners

      Explain It to Me by Vox

      Explain It to Me

      7,890 Listeners

      Switched on Pop by Vulture

      Switched on Pop

      2,676 Listeners

      Pivot by New York Magazine

      Pivot

      9,724 Listeners

      Gastropod by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

      Gastropod

      3,648 Listeners

      Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

      Decoder with Nilay Patel

      3,141 Listeners

      The Daily by The New York Times

      The Daily

      113,121 Listeners

      Good One by Vulture

      Good One

      1,483 Listeners

      Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

      Radio Atlantic

      2,380 Listeners

      Today, Explained by Vox

      Today, Explained

      10,331 Listeners

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

      7,244 Listeners

      Throughline by NPR

      Throughline

      16,512 Listeners

      Land of the Giants by Vulture

      Land of the Giants

      2,163 Listeners

      Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast by MKBHD

      Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

      43 Listeners

      Unlocking Us with Brené Brown by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

      23,563 Listeners

      A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe by Vox Media Podcast Network

      A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe

      738 Listeners

      Hard Fork by The New York Times

      Hard Fork

      5,576 Listeners

      Good Noticings by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Good Noticings

      6,488 Listeners

      The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

      The Ezra Klein Show

      16,525 Listeners

      Unexplainable by Vox

      Unexplainable

      2,303 Listeners

      Cover Story by New York Magazine

      Cover Story

      1,217 Listeners

      The Interview by The New York Times

      The Interview

      1,600 Listeners

      Not Just Football with Cam Heyward by Cam Heyward

      Not Just Football with Cam Heyward

      151 Listeners

      Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF by Vivian Tu

      Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF

      1,788 Listeners

      Prof G Markets by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Prof G Markets

      1,480 Listeners

      The Opinions by The New York Times Opinion

      The Opinions

      632 Listeners

      Bird's Eye View with Sue Bird by Sue Bird

      Bird's Eye View with Sue Bird

      427 Listeners

      Solutions with Henry Blodget by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Solutions with Henry Blodget

      36 Listeners