Do Morals Matter?
Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump
Dr. Joseph Nye
Harvard Kennedy School
As the U.S. transitions from a presidential administration which pursued an “America First” foreign policy, a vigorous debate is being conducted about whether the nation should continue to emphasize its national interest or return to earlier eras of “liberal internationalism.” Our January speaker, Andrew Bacevich, presented the vase for a less assertive global role for the U.S. A different point of view is held by our March speaker, who has championed a multi-lateral approach, promoting democracy and human rights. He is best known as the author of the concept of “soft power.”
Joseph S. Nye, Jr. is University Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus and former Dean of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He received his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Princeton University, won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, and earned a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard.
Dr. Nye has served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Chair of the National Intelligence Council, and a Deputy Under Secretary of State, and won distinguished service awards from all three agencies. His books include The Future of Power, The Power Game: A Washington Novel, and our March Book Club selection, Do Morals Matter? In a recent survey of international relations scholars, Joseph Nye was ranked as the most influential scholar on American foreign policy, and in 2011, Foreign Policy named him one of the top 100 Global Thinkers.