Portrait of Hans J. Morgenthau by O. Donnandi.
Ethics in International Affairs from the Archives
In honor of renowned international relations scholar Hans J. Morgenthau, a longtime advisor and trustee of Carnegie Council, the Morgenthau Memorial Lecture series ran from 1981 to 2006.
As Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal said, this series "provides us with an opportunity to revisit the profound themes suggested in Professor Morgenthau's work, particularly the timeless themes of ethics and politics, conscience and power."
Showcasing the most distinguished thinkers on ethics and international affairs, these lectures helped to set the agenda for the Council's work and are still relevant as the world faces new global challenges.
Featured Lectures
National Interest in the Information Age, with Professor Joseph S. Nye, Jr.
Speaking in 1999, Harvard's Professor Nye provides several reasons why the information age is likely to enhance rather than diminish American power.
Human Rights and Asian Values, with Professor Amartya Sen
In this valuable 1997 lecture, Nobel Prize-winner Amartya Sen points to intellectual strands within Asian thought that value human rights.
Thoughts on Man's Purpose in Life Context, with Admiral Hyram G. Rickover
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.
Read or Download the Full Lectures
MAY 26, 1996 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: The Future of the United States as a Great Power
William Pfaff points to the danger of the U.S. harking back to an isolationist past. He urges leaders to be morally responsible.
MAY 26, 1995 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: 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.
MAY 26, 1994 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: Intervention: From Theories to Cases
J. Bryan Hehir argues that the legal norm against intervention in other nations' affairs is eroded once it is impossible to ignore human rights violations.
MAY 12, 1992 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points after 75 Years
Although much of Wilson's thinking is relevant, he in no way anticipated "horrors" like the Holocaust or global issues like climate change, says Gaddis Smith.
MAY 12, 1991 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: Speaking Truth to Power: The Quest for Equality in Freedom
Former Carnegie Council president Robert J. Myers speaks about Hans Morgenthau's legacy, discussing his realist doctrine and its influence on American foreign policy.
NOV 29, 1989 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: Is the Cold War Over?
Arthur Schlesinger analyzes the failure of the Soviet experiment, something no historian had predicted.
MAY 12, 1988 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: The Nuclear Dilemma: The Greatest Moral Problem of All Time
Ted Hesburgh laments the nuclear arms race between the U.S. and the USSR, and proposes practical steps towards reducing the nuclear arsenal.
MAY 22, 1987 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: The Political Ethics of International Relations
Stanley Hoffmann says a danger in international affairs is "disembodied idealism," posing ethical solutions to political problems without understanding states and their interests.
MAY 26, 1986 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: Is Democratic Theory for Export?
Jacques Barzun argues that democracy is a historical development peculiar to the political context in which it developed. Attempts to export it will surely fail.
MAY 12, 1985 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: Words and Deeds in Foreign Policy
Kenneth Thompson discusses how moral principles become disconnected from political actions.