Hans Morgenthau, German-American political scientist, philosopher, and academic (b. 1904)
Hans Joachim Morgenthau (February 17, 1904 – July 19, 1980) was one of the major twentieth-century figures in the study of international relations. Morgenthau's works belong to the tradition of realism in international relations theory, and he is usually considered among the most influential realists of the post-World War II period. Morgenthau made landmark contributions to international relations theory and the study of international law. His Politics Among Nations, first published in 1948, went through five editions during his lifetime and was widely adopted as a textbook in U.S. universities. While Morgenthau emphasized the centrality of power and "the national interest," the subtitle of Politics Among Nations -- "the struggle for power and peace" -- indicates his concern not only with the struggle for power but the ways in which it is limited by ethics, norms, and law.In addition to his books, Morgenthau wrote widely about international politics and U.S. foreign policy for general-circulation publications such as The New Leader, Commentary, Worldview, The New York Review of Books, and The New Republic. He knew and corresponded with many of the leading intellectuals and writers of his era, such as Reinhold Niebuhr, George F. Kennan, Carl Schmitt and Hannah Arendt. At one point in the early Cold War, Morgenthau was a consultant to the U.S. Department of State when Kennan headed its Policy Planning Staff, and a second time during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations until he was dismissed by Johnson when he began to publicly criticize American policy in Vietnam. For most of his career, however, Morgenthau was esteemed as an academic interpreter of U.S. foreign policy.
1980Jul, 19
Hans Morgenthau
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Events on 1980
- 26Jan
Egypt
Israel and Egypt establish diplomatic relations. - 2Feb
United States Congress
Reports surface that the FBI is targeting allegedly corrupt Congressmen in the Abscam operation. - 10Jun
Nelson Mandela
The African National Congress in South Africa publishes a call to fight from their imprisoned leader Nelson Mandela. - 29Jul
Islamic Revolution
Iran adopts a new "holy" flag after the Islamic Revolution. - 9Oct
14th Dalai Lama
Pope John Paul II shakes hands with the Dalai Lama during a private audience in Vatican City.