It has been said that religion and ethics are the missing dimensions of international affairs. This book captures those dimensions in the life and work of the preeminent international relations theorist of the twentieth century, Hans J. Morgenthau. As a proponent of realism and power politics, Morgenthau might seem an unlikely source on the subject of morality. Yet Mollov shows ... Read moreMorgenthau's considerable moral aspirations arising from his intellectual formation and religious experience. This is an invaluable contribution to political philosophy and international studies.
Joel H. Rosenthal, president, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs Benjamin Mollov fills a gap in the growing literature on Hans J. Morgenthau's political thought by providing an invaluable inquiry into the Jewish aspects of Morgenthau's life and the religious roots of his worldview. Mollov also succeeds in uncovering profound ethical and philosophical dimensions behind the theoretical perspective of realism in international studies.
Greg Russell, University of Oklahoma Ben Mollov has made a seminal contribution. . . . [His book] should open the eyes of anyone still clinging to a mistaken one-dimensional portrait of Morgenthau's ideas, and help cement Morgenthau's reputation as one of the leading political thinkers of the twentieth century.
Alan Dowty, University of Notre Dame While Hans J. Morgenthau turned late in life to an interest in the state of Israel, his concern with religious experience was life long. His relations with thousands of his students, friendship with Reinhold Niebuhr, and writings of statesmen such as Lincoln, throw light on the depth of his commitment. Ben Mollov's pioneering study Power and Transcendence examines in depth his commitment to the Jewish experience and will be a source for years to come.
Kenneth W. Thompson, Wilson Newman Professor of Government and Foreign Affairs, University of Virginia, White Burkett Miller Center of Public Affairs Show Less