Joel H. Rosenthal

President, Carnegie Council

Joel H. Rosenthal is president of Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. As a nonprofit leader, scholar, and teacher he works to empower ethical action, with a particular focus on U.S. foreign policy, issues of war and peace, human rights, and pluralism. At Carnegie Council, Rosenthal leads a team that identifies critical ethical issues, convenes experts, and produces agenda-setting resources to educate and activate communities globally.

Rosenthal is editor-in-chief of the Ethics & International Affairs journal published by Cambridge University Press. His first book Righteous Realists is an examination of the political realists who shaped post-WWII America in the nuclear age, including Hans Morgenthau, Reinhold Niebuhr, and George Kennan. His current writing and commentary can be found at the President’s Desk.

Rosenthal is the recipient of numerous awards including the Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Studies Association for his lifetime achievement in international studies and an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Social Science from the University of Edinburgh. He received his Ph.D. from Yale University and BA from Harvard University.

Featured Work

Joel Rosenthal

MAR 25, 2011 Podcast

Rahim Kanani Interviews Joel Rosenthal

Joel Rosenthal gives his assessment of President Obama's foreign policy, the Middle East and North Africa protests, the WikiLeaks revelations, U.S. leadership in the ...

Joel Rosenthal

MAR 25, 2011 Transcript

Rahim Kanani Interviews Joel Rosenthal

Joel Rosenthal gives his assessment of President Obama's foreign policy, the Middle East and North Africa protests, the WikiLeaks revelations, U.S. leadership in the ...

MAR 24, 2011 Article

Rahim Kanani Interviews Joel Rosenthal

Interview in World Affairs Commentary by RAHIM KANANI. RAHIM KANANI: As you observe U.S. foreign policy in the context of the recent and continued ...

MAR 2, 2011 Podcast

WAMC Radio's Alan Chartock Interviews Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal

Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal discusses Andrew Carnegie's vision for world peace and the mission and work of today's Carnegie Council, along with issues such ...

FEB 24, 2011 Article

WAMC Radio's Alan Chartock Interviews Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal

Transcript of interview with Alan Chartock, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, first broadcast on February 24, 2011.  

JAN 28, 2011 Podcast

Top Risks and Ethical Decisions 2011

In this lively discussion, economist Daniel Altman, political scientist/risk expert Ian Bremmer, and economic and political analyst Zachary Karabell present what each sees as ...

NOV 15, 2010 Podcast

The U.S. Navy's New Energy Revolution

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus is working to chart a new course for the Navy and Marine Corps, that by 2020 will dramatically reduce the ...

CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/deekay304/4647022764/">Deekay304</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">CC</a>)

AUG 24, 2010 Article

Is Peace Worth Fighting For?

Peace is worth fighting for--but that doesn't mean a blank check for military options, writes Joel Rosenthal. There are better, smarter, more moral ways to ...

AUG 20, 2010 Article

Can We Succeed Where Carnegie Failed?

The same Dunfermline-born Andrew Carnegie who spent his wealth on funding libraries and other grand institutions across Britain and America died a disappointed man, having ...

Cartoon by Art Young. Carnegie Council Archive

AUG 20, 2010 Article

Can We Succeed Where Carnegie Failed?

Carnegie's belief was that nations could resolve disputes without resorting to war. He worked hard to create mechanisms for achieving peace, but his hopes were ...