Culture & discovery

Maurice William Cranston (8 May 1920 – 5 November 1993) was a British philosopher, professor and author. He served for many years as Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics, and was also known for his popular publications. In the late 1970s and early 1980s he was Professor of Political Theory at the European University Institute in Florence (Italy). He was born at 53 Harringay Road, Harringay and educated at South Harringay School, the University of London and St Catherine's College, Oxford. As a young man, Cranston was a friend of the painter Denton Welch, and was immortalised as "Markham" in Welch's short story, "Touchett's Party".