Portrait of Hans J. Morgenthau by O. Donnandi.

Portrait of Hans J. Morgenthau by O. Donnandi.

Morgenthau Lecture: Words and Deeds in Foreign Policy

May 12, 1985

Moral principles become disconnected from political actions in three ways: contextualizing ethics for time and place as well as man, politics, and the nation-state; subjugating morals in the name of a utopian end; and viewing power alone as a moral principle.

You may also like

United Nations headquarters, New York City. CREDIT: Shutterstock.com/blurAZ.

JUN 4, 2026 Article

International Humanitarian Law under Stress, Humanitarian Lives under Fire

UN Under-Secretary-General Gilles Michaud reflects on the erosion of international humanitarian law and the urgent need to restore accountability and protection for aid workers.

MAY 29, 2026 Podcast

Democracy in Retreat

Freedom House's Yana Gorokhovskaia discusses the political and ethical stakes of two decades of global freedom decline.

Tehran, Iran. CREDIT: Shutterstock.com/Mazur Travel

MAY 27, 2026 Article

Iran Is Not Venezuela—But That’s Not the Point: The Ethics of American Tactical Power

Despite vast differences, Washington has treated Iran and Venezuela as parallel cases, writes Neda Bolourchi. What does this reveal about the ethics of American power?

Non traduit

Ce contenu n'a pas encore été traduit dans votre langue. Vous pouvez demander une traduction en cliquant sur le bouton ci-dessous.

Demande de traduction