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
JUN 26, 2014 • Article
We Have a Plan: From Sarajevo to Baghdad
How should we mark the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the event that led to WWI? Here in Sarajevo, remembering its ...
JUN 26, 2014 • Article
We Have a Plan: From Sarajevo to Baghdad
SARAJEVO, BOSNIA, AND HERZEGOVINA – How should we mark the 100th anniversary of the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, the ...
MAY 28, 2014 • Article
Sarajevo is a Symbol: Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Assassination
In this interview with the Turkish news organization Andalou Agency, Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal explains the reasons behind the Council's upcoming visit to Sarajevo ...
APR 3, 2014 • Podcast
Driving Competitive Advantage through Values-Based Leadership
"There can be no choice between doing well financially and behaving responsibly in business," declares Barclays Group Chief Executive Antony Jenkins. "The last half-dozen years ...
NOV 21, 2013 • Podcast
Symposium at the Scottish Parliament: From War to a Global Ethic
Is it possible to create a global code of ethics? In this Carnegie Council Centennial Symposium at the Scottish Parliament, the panelists discuss Andrew Carnegie's ...
NOV 12, 2013 • Podcast
Citizenship Within and Across Nations
Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah explores the role of civic honor, and its negative counterpart, shame, in shaping the political behavior of individuals and of nations, ...
OCT 28, 2013 • Article
A Letter to Andrew Carnegie on the Eve of the Council's Centennial
From our vantage point 100 years on, Andrew Carnegie got some things right and others wrong; but the core issue remains the same. "Today's Carnegie Council ...
OCT 16, 2013 • Article
A Letter to Andrew Carnegie on the Eve of the Council‘s Centennial
Dear Mr. Carnegie, As the current president of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, it is my privilege to report to you on ...
SEP 24, 2013 • Article
Ethics Primer Part II: Concepts and Methodologies
The core of ethics and international affairs can be accessed through three normative concepts: pluralism; rights and responsibilities; and fairness. A standard method of inquiry ...
SEP 24, 2013 • Article
Ethics Primer Part I: Background and Theories
The discipline of ethics begins with Socrates’ question: How should one live? Ethics is about choice. What values guide us? What standards do we use? ...