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 29, 2017 • Podcast
The Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World
To mark Carnegie Council's Centennial, Michael Ignatieff and team set out to discover what moral values people hold in common across nations. What he found ...
SEP 8, 2017 • Podcast
North Korea: A Conversation between Joel Rosenthal and Devin Stewart
Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal and Senior Fellow Devin Stewart discuss the tense North Korea situation. What does Kim Jong-un want? How should the United ...
SEP 5, 2017 • Podcast
Making Ethics Matter in 2017
"Ethics will be found in people of good will who believe in constructive responses to hard policy challenges. Ethics will be demonstrated by those who ...
AUG 23, 2017 • Article
Foreword to Volume "Just War Thinkers: From Cicero to the 21st Century"
This book tells the story of the just war through its main protagonists. Each chapter gives insight into the life and times of the most ...
JUL 16, 2017 • Publication
Ethics in International Affairs: An Introduction
This introduction from Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal explains the point of view underlying the Council’s activities, discussing the connection between power and ethics.
JUN 23, 2017 • Podcast
Soldiers and Civilization: How the Profession of Arms Thought and Fought the Modern World into Existence
The soldier "is at once the most and the least civilized of persons," says Carnegie Council Senior Fellow Reed Bonadonna. In this thoughtful conversation, he ...
JUN 1, 2017 • Podcast
Privacy in a Digital Age - Carnegie UK Trust Seminar on Future of Public Libraries
This seminar, sponsored by the Carnegie UK Trust as part of a study tour on the future of public libraries, explores privacy and the role ...
JUN 1, 2017 • Transcript
Privacy in a Digital Age - Carnegie UK Trust Seminar on Future of Public Libraries
This seminar, sponsored by the Carnegie UK Trust as part of a study tour on the future of public libraries, explores privacy and the role ...
MAR 13, 2017 • Podcast
Breaking Barriers: The Air Force and the Future of Cyberpower
The Air Force is heading America's efforts to modernize and secure its digital infrastructure and incorporate cyberspace into every aspect of its operations. Learn more ...
FEB 22, 2017 • Podcast
Launch of Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative
C2G2 serves a vital purpose: connecting and mobilizing actors from many sectors of society to look at the very real possibilities of engineering the ...