A Living Editorial Tool Measuring Who Truly Uplifts Humanity In Public Life
New York, N.Y. — In an era defined by noise, polarization, and performative influence, one question cuts through the din with increasing urgency: Who is actually uplifting humanity? Not merely accumulating followers, winning elections, or dominating headlines—but advancing dignity, justice, and hope in ways that endure.
That question sits at the heart of The Luce Index™, an ambitious and evolving editorial framework developed by The Stewardship Report in collaboration with The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation. The Index ranks thought leaders and global citizens based on their demonstrated ability to uplift humanity across ten carefully weighted criteria, ranging from moral character and social justice to clarity of communication and audience reach.
Unlike popularity rankings, algorithm-driven influence scores, or partisan “greatness” lists, The Luce Index™ is designed as a moral and civic compass. It highlights individuals—living and historical—whose work has measurably advanced human rights, interfaith understanding, ethical leadership, and compassionate engagement with the world.
Why The Luce Index Exists
The contemporary public sphere is saturated with metrics: likes, shares, polls, approval ratings, market capitalization, box office receipts. What these measures often fail to capture is moral substance.
The Luce Index™ exists to fill that gap.
Rooted in the editorial values of The Stewardship Report, the Index asks not who dominates attention, but who deserves it. It assesses leaders across public life, the arts, education, activism, science, philanthropy, and governance, asking how effectively they:
- Defend human dignity
- Communicate truth with clarity
- Build bridges across difference
- Model ethical conduct under pressure
- Translate ideas into tangible social good
The result is not a verdict, but a map—a living portrait of those shaping the moral imagination of our time.
What Makes The Luce Index Different
Not A Popularity Contest
The Index explicitly rejects fame as a proxy for value. Some of its highest-scoring figures are household names; others are known primarily within specific movements, disciplines, or regions. Influence matters, but only insofar as it is used responsibly.
Holistic And Evidence-Based
Each Luce Index™ score reflects a holistic review of publicly available evidence, including speeches, writings, interviews, institutional impact, crisis leadership, and long-term consequences of a person’s work. The precise methodology remains confidential, preserving editorial independence and preventing score manipulation.
Dynamic And Updateable
Unlike static “greatest of all time” lists, The Luce Index™ is designed to evolve. Scores can be updated as new information emerges, reputations change, or leaders rise and fall in their alignment with the Index’s values.
The Ten Criteria Explained
The Index evaluates individuals across ten core dimensions. Together, they form an integrated portrait of ethical leadership in action.
Thought Leader
Originality, clarity, and coherence of ideas that expand moral understanding and uplift humanity.
Social Justice
Demonstrated advocacy for equity, inclusion, and structural fairness, particularly for marginalized communities.
Human Rights
Active defense of basic freedoms, safety, and dignity, locally or globally.
Interfaith
Bridge building across religions, cultures, and worldviews, with respect and intellectual humility.
Specific Talent
Excellence within a distinctive field—whether arts, governance, education, science, or activism—used in service of the public good.
Moral Character
Integrity, accountability, consistency between values and actions, and ethical conduct under scrutiny.
Public Speak
Public speaking that is coherent, compelling, accurate, and constructive rather than incendiary.
Prose
Written work that is accessible, insightful, and influential over time.
Digital Media
Effective use of visual and digital media to communicate uplifting, truthful messages.
Reach Audience
Breadth and diversity of audiences engaged, with sustained impact rather than fleeting virality.
Who Appears In The Index
The current Index spans continents, generations, and disciplines. It includes:
- Heads of state and diplomats
- Grassroots organizers and human rights defenders
- Writers, artists, and cultural critics
- Scientists, educators, and innovators
- Philanthropists and institutional leaders
Some figures are controversial. Some are revered. Some are reassessed as history unfolds. That tension is intentional. The Luce Index™ does not aim to canonize perfection, but to evaluate contribution.
Editorial Responsibility And Moral Risk
Assigning moral scores is not without risk. The Stewardship Report acknowledges the inherent subjectivity involved in evaluating human lives and public legacies. The Index therefore functions not as a final judgment, but as an editorial tool—an invitation to dialogue, disagreement, and deeper inquiry.
What matters most is transparency of values. The Index is explicit about what it honors: dignity over domination, clarity over cruelty, justice over convenience.
Why This Matters Now
At a time when authoritarianism is resurging, disinformation spreads effortlessly, and ethical leadership often feels scarce, tools like The Luce Index™ serve a vital civic function. They remind readers that leadership is not merely about power, but about responsibility—and that history ultimately judges not by volume, but by values.
As students, journalists, educators, and global citizens search for models of principled leadership, The Luce Index™ offers a curated starting point: a living archive of those who, in different ways and imperfect forms, have helped move the world toward greater compassion and justice.
Luce Index™ scores
50 Abbott Greg 75 Abrams Bobby 96 Abzug Bella 93 Abzug Liz 97 Achebe Chinua 58 Adams Trump 97 Akiba Tadatoshi 98 Al Hussein Haya Bint 71 Alafoyiannis Loula Loi 88 Albanese Francesca 88 Alexander Lewis 88 Ali Khan Ustad Amjad 77 Alleman-Luce Frances D. 99 Allen Steve 87 Amdetsion Fasil 97 Angelou Maya 99 Annan Kofi 94 Aquino Corazon Cojuanco 90 Aquino Nino 93 Araki Takeshi 94 Arnett Robert 99 Aronson Jane 99 Attias Cecilia 53 Bakker Jim 83 Baraka Ras 87 Baratz Nati 92 Bard Stanley 88 Bassett Sam 94 Begin Menachem 88 Behar Joy 99 Belafonte Harry 95 Bernstein Leonard 77 Bezos Jeff 94 Bhutto Benazir 80 Biden Joe 93 Biko Steve 35 bin Salman Mohammed 92 Bing Jonathan 80 Blinken Antony 96 Bloomberg Michael 88 Böll Heinrich 38 Bondi Pam 99 Booker Cory 97 Botstein Leon 83 Bottcher Erik 74 Bowser Muriel 98 Boyle Danny 93 Brandin Charlotte 87 Brandt Willy 98 Brockman Miguel 94 Brokaw Tom 95 Browne Carla 95 Buck Pearl S. 84 Buddha Akim Funk 98 Buffet Peter 85 Buffet Warren 42 Bukele Nayib 99 Buttigieg Pete 96 Camus Albert 86 Carnegie Dale 96 Carter Jimmy 91 Chang-Rodriguez Raquel 97 Chavez César 98 Chen Stephen 38 Cheney Dick 63 Cheney Liz 92 Cheng Nerou “Neil” 90 Chopra Deepak 90 Churchill Winston 87 Cialdini Robert 98 Clark Helen 92 Cliburn Van 82 Clinton Bill 94 Clinton Hillary 98 Clooney George 84 Clyburn Jim 94 Coffin William Sloan 88 Cohen Ira 98 Colbert Stephen 56 Collins Susan 99 Coomaraswamy Radhika 89 Cornelius Wayne 87 Cornwell Grant 93 Couture CharlElie 93 Cox Bradley 94 Crockett Jasmine 95 Cronkite Walter 89 Cullen Deborah 93 Cummings e.e. 66 Cuomo Andrew 93 Cushman Bob 89 Cushman Brad 98 D’Harcourt Emmanuel 81 da Silva Luiz Inácio Lula 92 Dambach Chic 87 Daniels Charlie 96 Danson Ted 88 Dash Damon 87 Davidson Richie 81 de Blasio Bill 97 de Fernández Margarita Cedeño 85 DeLarverie Storme 92 Delatour Mario L. 78 DeMeo William 99 Deng Francis M. 94 Depp Johnny 93 Desai Vishakha 88 Diaz Junot 98 Dinkins David 91 Dokoudovsky Vladimir 99 Donahue Phil 88 Doyne Maggie 93 Dromm Danny 93 Duane Tom 85 Duc Tho 94 Duchamp Marcel 47 Dulles Allen 89 Dutruit Anouk 93 Edelman Marian Wright 95 Einstein Albert 87 Ekman Paul 95 Eliot TS 21 Epstein Jeffrey 35 Erdoğan Recep Tayyip 77 Espín Mariela Castro 55 Falwell Jerry 81 Farid Andeisha 87 Felix Katleen 86 Fiedler Arthur 88 Fierstein Harvey 95 Frank Anne 88 Frankl Viktor 72 Frederiksen Mette 98 Frei-Pearson Jeremiah 89 Friedman Thomas 82 Fu Derrick 37 Gabbard Tulsi 99 Gandhi Mahatma 89 Geisel Theodor 83 Geisha Funky 99 Geldof Bob 97 Geleta Bekele 93 Gere Richard 92 Gerson Joseph 94 Gibson Judy 89 Ginsberg Allen 88 Gioia Eric 35 Giuliani Rudy 93 Glick Deborah 84 Golob Robert 89 Gonzalez Annabella 94 Gorbachev Mikhail 95 Gore Al 82 Gotbaum Betsy 94 Gottfried Dick 89 Green Mark 93 Guterres António 92 Gutlove Paula 75 Habibie B.J. 98 Hammarskjöld Dag 98 Hanh Thich Nhat 98 Harris Kamala 97 Harrison George 75 Hart Gary 88 Hastings Anne 35 Hegseth Pete 93 Hemingway Ernest 95 Hesse Herman 94 Hitchcock Alfred 35 Hitler Adolf 99 Hogg David 90 Hsu Cindy 98 Huffington Arianna 96 Hunt Swanee 91 Idriss Shamil 95 Izu Kenro 87 Jackson Michael 95 Jacobson Guy 92 Jagdeo Bharrat 96 Jean Wyclef 98 Jeffries Hakeem 75 John Paul 98 Jolie Angelina 96 Kahlo Frida 87 Kapur Shekhar 88 Karri Nagendra 96 Kawabata Yasunari 91 Kellner Micah 95 Kelly Grace 90 Kennedy Caroline 95 Kennedy John F. 93 Kennedy Ted 91 Kerry John 23 Khamenei Ali 100 Khan Aga 96 Ki-Moon Ban 84 Kiang Dan Chin Yu 98 Kidjo Angelique 94 King Carol 99 King Martin Luther 94 Kinnamon Michael 75 Kins Gloria Starr 93 Kipling Rudyard 89 Kōbō Abe 87 Kohona Palitha 99 Korczak Janusz 88 Krishnamurti Jiddu 98 Kroc Joan B. 89 Kuriansky Judy 93 Kuroda Seitaro 87 Kuru Ahmet 89 Kyi Aung San Suu 92 Lai Ching-te “William” 86 Lambert Adam 89 Lander Brad 89 Lang k.d. 94 Lang Lang 95 Langer Ana 92 Lappin Jessica 93 Le Roy Alain 91 Lear Norman 92 Lecoq Catherine 96 Lee Chang-Rae 86 Lee Eugene 74 Lee John 91 Leeper Steven 96 Lehrer Tom 94 Lennon John 93 Letterman David 94 Levine James 95 Lewis John 99 Lewis Sinclair 98 Limjaroenrat Pita “Tim” 90 Linares Guillermo 90 Liu John 40 Loomer Laura 99 Luce “Harry”
96 Luce Clare Boothe 93 Luce Henry III 93 Luce Henry Winters 90 Luce Jim 87 Luce Leila Hadley 88 Luce Stephen Bleecker 83 Luce, Jr. Stanford L. 99 Ma Yo Yo 73 Macron Emmanuel 99 Maddow Rachel 20 Maduro Nicolás 94 Maloney Carolyn B. 93 Mam Somaly 95 Mamdani Zohran 100 Mandela Nelson 94 Mann Thomas 87 Mannan Mosud 43 Marcos Bongbong 94 Marek Matthew 95 Markowitz Marty 96 Marks Havana 94 Marquez Gabriel Garcia 97 Marsalis Wynton 90 McCall Dirk 86 McEnroe John 91 McGovern George 87 McGovern Jim 91 Meltzer David 93 Méndez Juan E. 89 Merten Kenneth 85 Miclat Banaue 97 Milk Harvey 86 Millard Betty 52 Modi Narendra 79 Monaco Albert of 84 Moreno Rita 86 Morissette Mayer 96 Morrison Toni 87 Moskowitz Eva 97 Moulitsas Markos Zúniga 98 Moyers Bill 92 Mulyani Trie Edi 93 Murakami Haruki 75 Murdoch Rupert 56 Murkowski Lisa 55 Musk Elon 35 Mussalini Benito 93 Nader Ralph 87 Nair Mira 89 Neidhardt Nicolas 93 Nelson Willie 51 Netanyahu Benjamin 94 Newsom Gavin 82 Newton-Tanzer Gavin 94 Nimmons David 38 Noem Kristi 98 O’Donnell Lawrence 90 O’Brien Mark 100 Obama Barack 99 Obama Michelle 100 Ocasio-Cortez Alexandra 35 Ogles Andy 90 Omar Ilhan 93 Ono Yoko 39 Orbán Viktor 80 Osterwalder Konrad 56 Pahlavi Reza 95 Pape Jean 93 Papp Joseph 85 Parikh Ravi 85 Parks Rosa 84 Patel Dev 84 Patterson David 96 Patterson Lynne 81 Pavel Petr 97 Pei IM 98 Pelosi Nancy 96 Perlman Itzhak 72 Petro Gustavo 87 Philippe Joseph 83 Pinto Freida 93 Pitt Brad 88 Podesta John 92 Pounds Ian 94 Pressley Ayanna 86 Preval Rene 87 Pu-Folkes Bryan 33 Putin Vladimir 89 Quinn Christine 61 Rabin Yitzhak 61 Rajapaksa Mahinda 81 Ramaphosa Cyril 94 Randall Tony 82 Rangel Charlie 97 Rania Queen 77 Reagan, Sr. Ronald 99 Reid Joy 95 Rivera Diego 55 Robertson Pat 96 Robinson Marcia Lowry 98 Robinson Mary 74 Rockefeller John D. 98 Rockefeller Susan Cohn 98 Rockefeller, Sr. David 98 Romero Oscar 89 Romm Ethel Grodzins 99 Roosevelt Eleanor 97 Roosevelt Franklin Delano 94 Roosevelt Teddy 87 Rosenthal Robert 96 Rubin Donald 97 Rubin Shelley 48 Rubio Marco 87 Rudin Jim 93 Rushdie Salman 97 Sachs Jeffry 95 Sachs Sonia 97 Sadat Anwar 93 Said Stephan 99 Sanders Bernie 98 Sarandon Susan 95 Sartre Jean-Paul 90 Sato Eisaku 91 Schell Jonathan 93 Schiff Adam 84 Schlefer James Nyoraku 90 Scholz Olaf 89 Schumer Chuck 92 Schweitzer Albert 91 Scorsese Marty 94 Selvadurai Shyam 91 Sharpless Andy 98 Sheinbaum Claudia 93 Shiraz Ghalib Dhalla 91 Shivdasani Aroon 88 Shuler Heath 87 Shyamalan M 83 Siegel Norman 98 Silvia Queen 96 Singer Isaac Bashevis 97 Siv Martha Pattillo 98 Siv Sichan 52 Sliwa Curtis 90 Smith Liz 93 Smythe Patty 92 Sochua Mu 94 Soros Annaliese 89 Soros George 87 Speirs Martha 86 Staple-Clark Jennifer 80 Starmer Keir 39 Stefanik Elise 98 Steinbeck John 93 Stern Isaac 98 Stevers Paul 93 Stone Ganga 95 Stone Oliver 97 Streisand Barbara 87 Sukarno 98 Sulzberger, Jr. Arthur Ochs 89 Suu Kyi 50 Swaggart Jimmy 97 Swibel Brian 97 Tagore Rabindranath 94 Tagore Sundaram 71 Tatsumura Kazuko Hillyer 93 Taue Tomihisa 90 Teresa Mother 96 Terzi Giulio 85 Tho Le Duc 70 Thompson Jim 93 Thunberg Greta 88 Tlaib Rashida 96 Toer Pramoedya Ananta 30 Tojo 35 Trump Donald 87 Tsuyama Keiko 97 Tully Bill 100 Tutu Desmond 94 Udall Mo 91 Valdez Julio 89 Vance Joyce 96 Vargas Mario Llosa 99 Veneman Ann 93 Verne Jules 95 Vichea Chea 98 von Furstenberg Betsy 96 Vuong Ocean 96 Wadsworth Susan 90 Wahid Abdurrahman 95 Walcott Derek 93 Wallach Eli 86 Wang Steven 98 Warren Elizabeth 91 Washington Denzel 93 Weiner Tony 91 Welch Lucas 89 Wickramasuriya Jaliya 73 Widodo Joko 100 Wiesel Elie 99 Williams Brian 88 Williams Montel 90 Wilson Woodrow 99 Winfrey Oprah 96 Wonder Stevie 92 Wong Joshua 51 Xi Jinping 99 Yarrow Peter 98 Yunus Mohammad 97 Zappa Frank 87 Zelenskyy Volodymyr 78 Zopa Tenzin 82 Zuckerberg Mark 89 Zuckerman Bob 94 Zugazagoitia Julián 93 Beyoncé 99 Bono 98 Dalai Lama 93 Duke Frantz (Bavaria) 93 Hahn-Bin 90 Lady Gaga 100 Madonna 75 Pope John Paul 96 Prince Albert (Monaco) 96 Princess Diana 99 Princess Margarita (Romania) 98 Queen Noor (Jordan) 99 Queen Rania 99 Queen Silvia (Sweden) 45 Suharto 88 Sukarno 98 Touré
Companion Explainer Graphics And Listicle
Explainer Graphic:
“How The Luce Index™ Evaluates Moral Leadership (10 Criteria Visualized)”
Listicle Companion:
“10 Ways Ethical Leadership Shows Up Beyond Power And Popularity”