Hans J. Morgenthau and the Ethics of American Statecraft

In this wide-ranging philosophical inquiry, Greg Russell considers the pioneering work of Hans J. Morgenthau, one of twentieth-century America's leading political philosophers. Making extensive use of the Morgenthau Papers at the University of Virginia, Russell differentiates Morgenthau's philosophy of realism from the European heritage of Machiavellianism or raison d'etat. He also evaluates Morgenthau's commentary on the nature of moral choice in political existence. After identifying Morgentau's ideological predecessors in Europe, Russell documents his departure from the canons of raison d'etat. He identifies Morgenthau's profound regard for the underlying purposes and ideals of American society. Morgenthau's objective, according to Russell, was to harmonize the successful defense of the national interest with the promotion of desirable values in foreign policy. The American statesman believed that the principles of morality and the necessities of power are not mutually exclusive categories by which to define the scope and objectives of the national interest. In Morgenthau's view, a responsible foreign policy must begin with the practical necessities of survival and the maintenance of a balance of power and, at the same time, accommodate the transcendent values of the American people, who insists upon universal moral principles.