Michael Puett

Michael Puett is the Walter C. Klein Professor of Chinese History and Anthropology at Harvard University, with a joint appointment in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations and the Department of Anthropology. He serves as Director of the Harvard University Asia Center. His work bridges history, anthropology, religion, and philosophy, focusing on early Chinese thought within global frameworks.

His research explores early Chinese ritual, political theory, and cosmology, with notable publications including The Ambivalence of Creation and To Become a God. Puett co-authored Ritual and its Consequences, challenging Western notions of sincerity through cross-cultural analysis.

Recipient of prestigious awards for teaching and mentoring, including the Harvard College Professorship, he has shaped undergraduate education through his highly enrolled General Education course on Classical Chinese Ethical and Political Theory since 2012.

• Awards: Joseph R. Levenson Prize, Everett Mendelsohn Award, Star Family Prize

His advising emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, blending theoretical rigor with practical ethical inquiry. As Asia Center Director, he fosters collaborative research across Asian studies disciplines.