E 64th Street, NY, NY at the time of our organization’s founding in 1914
Historical Resources for the Classroom
For over 100 years, Carnegie Council has worked to ensure that ethical reflection is present in the practice of international affairs. Education has always been a major part of our mission. From defending principles like humanitarianism and pluralism, to working to understand moral frameworks from around the world, these resources tell the story of the Council. And they are perfect for educators and students looking to understand the ethical dimensions of international relations.
Table of Contents
From Our Archives: Featured Resources
APR 30, 1970 • Article
A New Sense of Direction (1968)
JAN 5, 1970 • Article
Visiting Mahatma Gandhi, 1929
In 1928-29, Henry Atkinson, president of the Church Peace Union (now Carnegie Council) took a five-month trip through Asia to meet with religious leaders and ...
APR 29, 1970 • Article
Mission to Hanoi, 1968
In February 1968, peace activist Father Daniel Berrigan and historian Howard Zinn flew to Hanoi to obtain the release of three American prisoners of war. Here ...
Morgenthau Lectures: 1981 - 2006
Human Rights and Asian Values
Human rights are neither a uniquely Western phenomenon nor a hindrance to economic development, the charges usually leveled against those who seek to implement human rights in Asia. In this valuable 1997 lecture, Amartya Sen points to intellectual strands within Asian thought that value human rights.
Thoughts on Man's Purpose in Life
In this 1982 lecture, Admiral Rickover, known as the "Father of the Nuclear Navy," considers our human need to find purpose and meaning in our lives.
The New Dimensions of Human Rights
"The interface between ethics and science will hence be the new frontier of politics—the third new dimension of human rights," warns Zbigniew Brzezinski in this 1995 lecture. Increasingly, politics is likely to be dominated by ethical dilemmas stimulated by science's potential for reshaping the very nature of the human being.
Do Morals Matter? Presidents & Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump, with Joseph Nye (2020)
How much do morals matter for U.S. presidents when it comes to international affairs? What are the ethics of "America First" or 2003 invasion of Iraq? Joseph Nye, former dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, works through each presidency from FDR to Trump and scores their foreign policy on three ethical dimensions of their intentions, the means they used, and the consequences of their decisions.
More from Joe Nye
APR 25, 2023 • Essay
Nuclear Ethics Revisited
MAY 12, 1999 • Lecture
National Interest in the Information Age
In the eighteenth Morgenthau Lecture, Harvard's Professor Joe Nye provides several reasons why the information age is likely to enhance rather than diminish American power.
APR 13, 2004 • Lecture
Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics
Joseph Nye's concept of "soft power" has become part of the international relations lexicon. In this 2004 book talk, he argues that hard power alone cannot deal with terrorism successfully. We must use a combination of hard and soft power.
Ethical Issues for Today (1996)
What is the difference between ethics and law? Unlike the law, ethics involves other people, says Elie Wiesel, in this powerful and wide-ranging talk from 1996.
We must be sensitive to the needs of others and constantly ask ourselves if we are doing enough to stand up for victims and care for others, both compatriots and strangers.
Ethics Matter Interview Series: 2011 - 2018
MAY 3, 2018 • Podcast
Poverty Reduction & Social Welfare in China, with Qin Gao
FEB 27, 2018 • Podcast
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, with Timothy Snyder
Can tyranny happen here? asks historian Timothy Snyder. His chilling answer is, "it can happen, it happens to people like us, and it is happening ...
OCT 5, 2017 • Podcast
Free-Enterprise Solutions to Climate Change, with Bob Inglis
Republican politician Bob Inglis used to think that climate change was nonsense; but his son--and science--changed his mind. Today he advocates letting market forces do ...
Resources on Andrew Carnegie
A Letter to Andrew Carnegie on the Eve of the Council‘s Centennial
Dear Mr. Carnegie, As the current president of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, it is my privilege to report to you on the eve of the 100th anniversary of our founding.
Andrew Carnegie's New Year Greeting, 1914
"We send this New Year Greeting, January 1, 1914, strong in the faith that International Peace is soon to prevail, thru several of the great powers agreeing to settle their disputes by arbitration under International Law, the pen thus proving mightier than the sword."
Andrew Carnegie Biography
A short biography on Andrew Carnegie that focuses mainly on his philanthropic endeavors.