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

MAR 4, 2004 Article

From Andrew Carnegie to Hans Morgenthau: A Lesson in Ethics and International Affairs

Carnegie and Morgenthau make an instructive pairing. Carnegie, an idealist, stood for “never again war,” while Morgenthau stood for “never again genocide.” Nobody wants to ...

MAR 4, 2004 Article

Feature Articles from Inprint Newsletter (2001–2004): From Andrew Carnegie to Hans Morgenthau

Carnegie and Morgenthau make an instructive pair, explains Council President Joel Rosenthal. Carnegie, an idealist, stood for "never again war," while Morgenthau stood for "never ...

The Future of Humanitarianism

MAR 2, 2004 Transcript

The Future of Humanitarianism

Kouchner argues that the globalization of compassion and human rights is a sign of substantial moral progress that can count some successes--most notably, in Kosovo ...

AUG 19, 2003 Article

Shall We Call It An Empire?

The projection of American power inspires the great debate of our time. Is the United States a twenty-first century empire, and if so, what kind? ...

Shall We Call it an Empire?

AUG 19, 2003 Article

Feature Articles from Inprint Newsletter (2001–2004): Shall We Call It An Empire?

The projection of American power inspires the great debate of our time. Is the United States a twenty-first century empire, and if so, what kind? ...

Detail from book cover.

MAY 1, 2003 Transcript

The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks hopes that mankind can develop a doctrine of peaceful coexistence grounded in religious texts common to Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

APR 22, 2003 Article

A New Turn in the New War

The war on terrorism began with moral clarity and a widely accepted road map for immediate action. For eighteen months there was strong international consensus ...

APR 22, 2003 Article

Feature Articles from Inprint Newsletter (2001–2004): A New Turn in the New War

The war on terrorism began with moral clarity and a widely accepted road map for immediate action. For 18 months there was strong international consensus on ...

American Empire:  The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy

APR 9, 2003 Transcript

American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy

A sole superpower in the aftermath of the Cold War pursuing an increasingly militarized foreign policy, America is no longer shy about its imperial ambitions, ...

OCT 20, 2002 Article

Threats Beyond the Headlines

"One unintended danger of our hedgehog-like focus on the war against terrorism is that it squeezes the public space available to air other issues, increasing [...