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.

He is also editor-in-chief of the Ethics & International Affairs journal published by Cambridge University Press and serves on the advisory board for the Bard College Globalization and International Affairs program. Rosenthal’s 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.

He 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. Rosenthal received his Ph.D. from Yale University and B.A. from Harvard University.

Follow him on LinkedIn to receive future content translating ethics, analyzing democracy, and examining our increasingly interconnected world.

Featured Work

AUG 30, 2022 Article

General Milley's Ethical Dilemma: The Letter That Was Never Sent

More than two years after President Trump’s infamous stroll across Washington DC’s Lafayette Square Park, General Mark Milley has gone public with his ...

JUL 6, 2022 Podcast

A Conversation with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Ethics, Diplomacy, & Public Service

In a candid conversation, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, talks with Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal about her role in the ...

JUN 17, 2022 Article

The United Nations: A Distinct and Exceptional Purpose

"The United Nations stands as the preeminent symbol and hope for the universal aspirations of human society," writes Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal in this ...

MAY 13, 2022 Article

Ethics As We Know it is Gone. It's Time for Ethics Re-envisioned.

Given the troubling state of international affairs there is reason to be greatly concerned about how ethics is framed or co-opted. To meet this moment, ...

MAR 15, 2022 Podcast

The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict, with Elbridge Colby

In this wide-ranging talk, U.S. defense expert Elbridge Colby discusses the changing nature of American power with Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal. As the ...

FEB 28, 2022 Podcast

Russia Invades Ukraine: A Principled Response

Russia's invasion of Ukraine raises several ethical questions: Why did diplomacy fail? What does the invasion mean for the principle of sovereignty? Are sanctions an ...

FEB 9, 2022 Podcast

Where is the Public Square for the Digital Information Age? with Stelios Vassilakis

In this episode of the "Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative" podcast, Senior Fellow Anja Kaspersen and Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal sit down with the Stavros ...

JAN 6, 2022 Article

One Year After the January 6 Insurrection, Democracy Needs a Rallying Cry

On the first anniversary of the January 6 insurrection, groups across society are increasingly worried about the state of democracy. But as the pressure on democracy ...

DEC 15, 2021 Podcast

Is Militarization Essential for Security in 2022 and Beyond?

In the last 20 years, the U.S. and its allies significantly expanded their military and security infrastructures. But as America pivots from the War on ...

DEC 9, 2021 Podcast

Ethics, Governance, and Emerging Technologies: A Conversation with the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G) and Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative (AIEI)

Emerging technologies with global impact are creating new ungoverned spaces at a rapid pace. In this critical moment, frameworks and approaches to govern these technologies, ...