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.

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Featured Work

SEP 29, 2009 Podcast

Leadership as Practical Ethics

If we accept leadership as goal-driven and compromise-ridden, then we see that ethics should not be a peripheral to any public policy curriculum or program ...

SEP 9, 2009 Podcast

Realism as Pragmatic Cooperation

Remedies to global challenges are less about romantic dreams to improve the world and more about pragmatism and sustainability. The pragmatic and ethical thing to ...

SEP 9, 2009 Podcast

Afghanistan and Japan: Joel Rosenthal on Public Television

What impact will the recent elections in Afghanistan and Japan have on U.S. interests? Joel Rosenthal is interviewed on Worldfocus, along with Carol Giacomo ...

SEP 9, 2009 Transcript

Afghanistan and Japan: Joel Rosenthal on Public Television

What impact will the recent elections in Afghanistan and Japan have on U.S. interests? Joel Rosenthal is interviewed on Worldfocus, along with Carol Giacomo ...

AUG 28, 2009 Article

Realism as Pragmatic Cooperation

I would like to begin my presentation by telling you a bit about the Carnegie Council—and specifically, the word “ethics” in our title. This ...

CREDIT: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/jXxdtXFEjcc">Blake Guidry</a> on Unsplash

JUL 28, 2009 Podcast

Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism

As Americans in a globalized world, how can we define our moral responsibilities to humanity? Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal recommends a "cosmopolitan patriotism," rooted ...

CREDIT: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/jXxdtXFEjcc">Blake Guidry</a> on Unsplash

JUL 28, 2009 Transcript

Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism

As Americans in a globalized world, how can we define our moral responsibilities to humanity? Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal recommends a "cosmopolitan patriotism," rooted ...

JUL 18, 2009 Article

Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism

Let me begin with a simple claim. We live today in a globalized world that challenges us morally. While globalization may be a fuzzy concept, ...

Joel Rosenthal

JUL 14, 2009 Podcast

"The Current" Interviews Joel Rosenthal

Carnegie Council president Joel Rosenthal shares his thoughts on the mission and work of the Carnegie Council, the new administration, the future of realism, and ...

Joel Rosenthal

JUL 14, 2009 Transcript

"The Current" Interviews Joel Rosenthal

Carnegie Council president Joel Rosenthal shares his thoughts on the mission and work of the Carnegie Council, the new administration, the future of realism, and ...