The thesis, "The Search for Purpose: Henry Kissinger's Early Philosophy and American Foreign Policy," argues that while Kissinger's decisions post-1968 were incredibly important in shaping the United States' position in the world and his own reputation, these decisions are contingent upon the “intellectual capital” he developed before joining the Nixon administration. This "intellectual capital" is well-documented in written form and includes Kissinger's sophisticated undergraduate honors thesis, his graduate dissertation later published as the book A World Restored, and the numerous scholarly books and articles he wrote on American foreign policy before his appointment as Nixon's national security advisor. \\tThis thesis argues that an understanding of Kissinger's early writings is important because they reveal an embrace of an idealistic philosophy that overshadowed the political realism he is more well-known for. His constant calls for vision, purpose, inspiration and intuition were concepts deeply rooted in the idealistic philosophy through which he understood the world. Kissinger's philosophy pervaded each of his early works—from his writings as student and academic to critiques of American foreign policy as a scholar, and memos and letters as a member of President John F. Kennedy's administration. The aim of this thesis is to point out a commonly misinterpreted or ignored aspect of Kissinger's worldview as expressed in these early writings. This aspect is one that deeply contrasts with Kissinger's reputation as a cold-blooded practitioner of Realpolitik and an enthusiast of the political philosophy of realism. The analysis of Kissinger's early writings will highlight four strains of his idealistic thought which can be traced through “The Meaning of History,” A World Restored, and his writings on American foreign policy: optimism for human nature, agency of the individual, the struggle towards ideals within limits, and purposeful action. This thesis concludes that Kissinger's early idealistic thoughts contrast sharply to his reputation as a practitioner of Realpolitik.