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
SEP 9, 2021 • Podcast
Twenty Years Since 9/11: Grey Wars, American Values, & the Future of National Security
In the 20 years since the 9/11 attacks, national security decisions have tested the values of American democracy. This panel, hosted by Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal, ...
AUG 23, 2021 • Article
The Ethics of Exit from Afghanistan
Carnegie Council President Joel H. Rosenthal discusses the post-9/11 evolution from counterterrorism to counterinsurgency and analyzes the ethics surrounding the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. ...
JUN 9, 2021 • Podcast
Illiberal Democracy on the Rise: Examining Brazil, Hungary, & India
The post-World War II liberal order faces unprecedented upheaval as countries and their leaders retreat from globalism, embrace nationalism, and attack democratic norms. Whether it’...
JUN 2, 2021 • Article
Narrowing Hearts and Minds: Diagnosing the Global Rise of Illiberal Democracy
From Hungary to India to Brazil to the United States, there is no doubt that illiberalism is on the rise, writes Joel Rosenthal, president of ...
APR 16, 2021 • Podcast
Are Americans Facing an Undemocratic Future? with Jason Stanley
U.S. democracy is at a dangerous inflection point. As America emerges from the January 6th assault on the Capitol, society faces a critical question: ...
APR 6, 2021 • Article
Are Americans Facing an Undemocratic Future?
Faith in democracy is waning, and the events of the past year have done little to inspire confidence. Today, the presumption of democracy as an ...
MAR 29, 2021 • Podcast
ICGAI Catalyzing Cooperation: Working Together Across AI Governance Initiatives
This is the kick-off event for the International Congress for the Governance of Artificial Intelligence (ICGAI) online speaker series. This first event is focused on "...
MAR 23, 2021 • Podcast
Global Ethics Review: COVID-19 & International Relations, Part Two
In this new podcast series, we'll be connecting Carnegie Council's work and current events with our senior fellows, senior staff, and friends of our organization. ...
MAR 17, 2021 • Podcast
Global Ethics Review: COVID-19 & International Relations, Part One
In this new podcast series, we'll be connecting Carnegie Council's work and current events with our senior fellows, senior staff, and friends of our organization. ...
FEB 18, 2021 • Podcast
Tangled Up in Blue: Policing the American City, with Rosa Brooks
In 2015, Rosa Brooks, a law professor at Georgetown University, applied to become a sworn, armed reserve police officer with the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department. ...