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
NOV 2, 2006 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: Ethical Considerations: Law, Foreign Policy, and the War on Terror
As Navy General Counsel, Alberto Mora fought to stop policies authorizing cruelty toward terror suspects. "Cruelty harms our nation's foreign policy and national security interests."
NOV 3, 2005 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: The $100 Laptop: The Next Two Billion People to Go Digital
Negroponte's latest venture, One Laptop per Child, is a nonprofit organization that manufactures and distributes inexpensive laptops to children worldwide.
MAR 2, 2004 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: The Future of Humanitarianism
Doctors Without Borders co-founder Bernard Kouchner says the globalization of human rights is a sign of moral progress with successes in Kosovo and East Timor.
MAY 7, 2003 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: Waging Modern War
Wesley Clark says the war on terror cannot be won by military means alone; the U.S. must cooperate in "police and law enforcement activities."
MAY 8, 2002 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: The Mystery of Capital
Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto's revolutionary concept of the importance of property rights and rule of law is transforming developing countries around the world.
MAY 15, 2001 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: Universalism and Jewish Values
Though they lacked any state or territory of their own, Jews nevertheless created a distinctive political philosophy, says Michael Walzer.
MAY 12, 2000 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: Kosovo: An Assessment in the Context of International Law
South African jurist Richard J. Goldstone traces the troubled history of the Albanian province of Kosovo after it was incorporated into the new Yugoslavia in 1945.
MAY 12, 1999 • Article
Morgenthau 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.
MAY 12, 1998 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: Directions in U.S. Foreign Policy: Interests and Ideals
More people are living in democracies, thanks in large part to globalization, says Anthony Lake, but there has also been an erosion of national sovereignty.
MAY 25, 1997 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: Human Rights and Asian Values
In this valuable 1997 lecture, Amartya Sen points to intellectual strands within Asian thought that value human rights.