Stephen Carter
Professor, Yale Law School
Recognized by TIME magazine as one of the fifty leaders of the next century, Stephen Carter is a leading interpreter of American culture and discourse. An author, a novelist, and a columnist for The Bloomberg View, Stephen has shaped the national debate on issues ranging from the role of religion in our politics to the role of civility in our daily lives. Nearly fifteen years after publication, his book Civility is still the defining treatment of how the way we treat each other defines the society we live in. His latest work of non-fiction, The Violence of Peace, is a careful examination of Barack Obama's philosophy of war.
Civility: Manners, Morals and the Etiquette of Democracy explores the customs necessary for a healthy society. Stephen explains that self-interest and market-oriented thinking have hampered our ability to think of ourselves as a community. Obsessed with our personal rights and skeptical of good manners as limitations on our individuality, we treat each other rudely and call it self-expression. The solution, Stephen argues, is complex, ranging from a re-examination of our vocabulary to a re-focus on self-sacrifice as the foundation of community.
Stephen turns to the current presidency for his latest non-fiction book, The Violence of Peace: America's Wars in the Age of Obama. Analyzing Barack Obama's views on war — what makes it just or unjust and what it can accomplish — Stephen offers insight into how the President will handle future conflicts and how this will shape America's fate.
Professor Carter is the William Nelson Cromwell of Law at Yale University. He once served as a law clerk to Thurgood Marshall, the civil rights veteran and Supreme Court Justice. A trustee for the Aspen institute, he moderates seminars for business executives on the role of values in leadership. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Law Institute. He has written four novels: the first, The Emperor of Ocean Park, spent three months on the New York Times bestseller list. His latest novel, The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln, presents a dramatic alternate history of the Civil War. He is the author of seven critically acclaimed books on law, ethics and politics.
Books
The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln, 2012
The Violence of Peace: America’s Wars in the Age of Obama, 2011
Jericho's Fall, 2009
Palace Council, 2008
New England White, 2007
The Emperor of Ocean Park, 2002
God's Name in Vain: The Wrongs and Rights of Religion in Politics, 2000;
Civility, 1998
The Dissent of the Governed: A Meditation on Law, Religion and Loyalty, 1998; Integrity, 1996
The Confirmation Mess: Cleaning Up the Federal Appointments Process, 1994
The Culture of Disbelief: How American Law and Politics Trivialize Religious Devotion, 1993
Reflections of an Affirmative Action Baby, 1991
Credentials
- William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Yale University
- Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Law Institute
- Trustee, The Aspen Institute
- Seven honorary degrees
- Member, National Commission on Judicial Discipline and Removal