Pursuing A Life of Action

Acton Line

Gurcharan Das was born in Lyallpur, Punjab, during World War II. His mother noted in her diary that he was a restless child, and by age 3 was a “troublemaker.” He discovered one day, however, that he could also run—and he’s been running ever since.

Gurcharan set out to become an engineer but wound up with a philosophy degree from Harvard instead. From there he abandoned a promising academic career to become a salesman for Vicks VapoRub in India’s colorful bazaars, eventually leading him to become CEO of Procter & Gamble India. Then, at the peak of his professional life, he walked away from his corporate identity to become a celebrated writer and public intellectual.

He’s written on the classical Indian goals of the ideal life, political reforms around the world, and most recently a memoir entitled Another Sort of Freedom.

In this episode, Acton librarian and research fellow Dan Hugger speaks with Gurcharan from Acton University 2024 about his writing, politics in India, and pursuing a life of action.

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Gurcharan Das

Another Sort of Freedom | Penguin