Opinion | PM Modi & Snatches Of Plato’s Philosopher-Ruler In Lex Fridman Podcast
The prime minister copiously used metaphors, analogy, deductive and inductive reasoning, argumentation, and problem-solving approaches, which provided rare insights into his mind and worldview
It is not often that one invokes Greek philosopher Plato’s idea of the philosopher-ruler in modern politics. The concept, first proposed in his dialogue, the Republic, refers to a ruler who combines philosophical knowledge and temperament with political skill and power.
Plato saw philosophers as free from the venality that tempts others to abuse power, intellectually superior, and capable of applying their knowledge for the good of the state.
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Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius is often held as an example. Later political commentators cite Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, and Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister of Singapore, as philosopher-rulers.
One would have thought Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with his razor-sharp realpolitik and canny sense of power, was an unlikely candidate for the philosopher-ruler tag. But stretches from the three-hour podcast released by Lex Fridman on Sunday puts him squarely in that zone, whether it is him talking about fasting, the RSS, what holds India together, or Artificial Intelligence.
The prime minister copiously used metaphors, analogy, deductive and inductive reasoning, argumentation, and problem-solving approaches, which provided rare insights into his mind and worldview.
Take for instance how Modi described his own decision-making process. He said he draws from multiple sources of information, keeps an open mind to learn new things, plays devil’s advocate, has subject experts around, bounces off the decision with like-minded and trusted people, and once convinced, goes the whole hog with the decision. But most importantly, he emphasised standing by one’s decision and team, and not passing the blame in case of failures.
PM Modi made an impassioned pitch to youngsters: “No matter how dark the night may seem, it is still just the night; morning will come. Yes, the challenges are real, but I’m not defined by my circumstances. I am here for a purpose, sent by a higher power. And I am not alone. The one who sent me is always with me. Hardships exist to make me stronger. I personally see opportunity in challenges. One should never let the student within them die. Perhaps I exist to keep learning, keep growing."
Modi kept turning certain cornerstones of Leftist thought on their head. He said while the Communist slogan for the proletariat was “workers of the world unite", the RSS labour union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh’s credo was “workers, unite the world".
About what binds India together as a nation and civilisation, he said: “Bharat is a cultural identity. Look at its diversity. It has more than a hundred languages, thousands of dialects…it is said that every 20 miles, the language changes, attire changes, lifestyle changes. But if you dig deeper, you will find a common thread. Lord Ram is worshipped across the land. In every state, people have Ram in their names: Ram bhai in Gujarat, Ramachandran in Tamil Nadu, Ram Bhau in Maharashtra. Or when people bathe, they chant the names of rivers from across the geography. This is the cultural unity of the civilisation."
Speaking about mathematics genius Srinivasa Ramanujan, Modi said: “I strongly believe there is a deep connection between science and spirituality. If you closely observe scientifically advanced minds, you will see they are spiritually advanced too. They are not disconnected with spirituality."
On Artificial Intelligence, the prime minister noted: “AI cannot be complete without India. AI development is a collaboration. Artificial intelligence is fundamentally powered, shaped and guided by human intelligence." He linked Indians’ ability to collaborate to living in an open society and joint families.
From there, he took the discourse on technology and human existence a level higher.
“In every era, a competitive atmosphere was created between technology and humanity. At times, it was even portrayed as a conflict. It was portrayed as if technology will challenge human existence itself. But every time, humans adapted and stayed a step ahead. With AI, humans are being forced to reflect what it truly means to be human. That is the real power of AI."
WATCH || In his conversation with podcaster Lex Fridman (@lexfridman), PM @narendramodi says AI is incomplete without India, citing its vast talent pool and rapid tech growth. PM Modi highlighted India's cost-effective space missions and cultural values that drive Indian… pic.twitter.com/urgY3eXtsj— DD India (@DDIndialive) March 16, 2025
The ‘darshanik’ or philosophical bent of the podcast peaked when Fridman asked Modi if he was afraid of death.
The prime minister broke into laughter. He then asked Fridman: “Let me ask you a question: which is a certainty, life or death? If death is certain, why be afraid of it or spend too much time thinking about it? Spend time living this life instead and trying to make it better."
This was PM Modi at his most calm, expansive, reflective, clear, and insightful. One may circle back to the description of the philosopher-leader in Plato’s own words: “A true captain must pay attention to the seasons of the year, the sky, the stars, the winds, and all that pertains to his craft, if he’s really to be the ruler of a ship."
Abhijit Majumder is a senior journalist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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