Michael Puett

Michael Puett is the Walter C. Klein Professor of Chinese History and Anthropology at Harvard University, where he also serves as Director of the Asia Center. His research bridges historical, anthropological, religious, and philosophical frameworks to situate China within broader comparative and theoretical contexts.

His work focuses on early Chinese cosmology, ritual practices, and their implications for understanding human agency and governance. Key contributions include co-authoring Ritual and its Consequences: An Essay on the Limits of Sincerity—which explores ritual’s role in transcending sincerity—and solo works like The Ambivalence of Creation and To Become a God, analyzing innovation and self-divinization in Early China.

He is associated with the Asia Center at Harvard, though no specific scientific awards, students, or recent articles are detailed in the provided text.