About
George T. Crane is the Edward S. Greenbaum 1910 Professor in Political Science at Williams College and Director of the Williams-Exeter Programme at Oxford University, where he has served since 1989.
His academic credentials include:
- B.A. from SUNY at Purchase College (1979)
- M.A. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1981)
- Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1986)
Crane specializes in ancient Chinese philosophical traditions, particularly Confucian and Daoist thought, and their application to modern political and social issues. His research bridges classical Eastern philosophy with contemporary American life and Chinese politics, as evidenced by works including Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Dao and his blog The Useless Tree. He teaches courses on Chinese political systems, East Asian international relations, and authoritarian regimes.
His publication trends reveal deep interdisciplinary engagement between political science and philosophy, consistently analyzing how ancient Chinese concepts inform modern governance, societal values, and geopolitical dynamics in both China and the United States. This work spans theoretical political philosophy and empirical studies of East Asian politics.
