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.
Subscribe to the Carnegie Ethics Newsletter for updates and analysis from Joel
Featured Work
MAY 22, 2026 • Video
Nuclear Ethics
This "Values & Interests" panel discussion, held in partnership with PBS and moderated by acclaimed journalist Ann Curry, is available to view in full.
MAY 1, 2026 • Video
U.S. Power and Principle
James Story, former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela, visits Carnegie Council to discuss the new dynamic between American power and principle.
APR 10, 2026 • Report
Reflections from Uehiro-Carnegie Endowment for Future Generations Study Tour of Japan
Access this report from the Uehiro-Carnegie Endowment for Future Generations study tour, in which Carnegie Council fellows and staff reflect on their trip to Japan.
MAR 20, 2026 • Article
Zero Introspection
The rejection of introspection by America's business leaders—combined with an unwillingness to defend the system that incubated their success—is a deeply troubling trend.
MAR 13, 2026 • Video
Character and Leadership: A Conversation with Lt. General (ret.) Mark Hertling
Mark Hertling discusses U.S. foreign policy, the release of his new book, and the moral-political fork in the road in America in 2026.
FEB 10, 2026 • Article
A Moral Rupture
As moral relativists try to sanitize Trump's transgressive policies, Canada's Prime Minister Carney warns, "We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition."
DEC 15, 2025 • Video
The Ethics of Decision-Making in National Security
Avril D. Haines, former director of national intelligence, offered insights into the importance of values, how to defend ethical norms, and pathways for next-gen leaders.
NOV 3, 2025 • Report
Nuclear Complacency
Access a new report from Carnegie Council and The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation on the growing risk of nuclear complacency.
OCT 16, 2025 • Video
Re-envisioning Humanitarianism for a Changing World
In the Global Ethics Day 2025 keynote event, an expert panel discussed the present and future of humanitarian aid, in this challenging political environment.
SEP 11, 2025 • Video
Post-Liberal American Power
In the first event in our "Values & Interests" series, an expert panel examines the question: Has Trump 2.0 ushered in an era of post-liberal American power?