Framing ethical perspectives
Applied ethics refers to the practical applications of the moral principles that govern behavior. Carnegie Council focuses on this field, mostly through the realm of international affairs, by identifying and addressing the most critical ethical issues of today and tomorrow. Our initiatives, content, and experts analyze the way that governments, institutions, and individuals interact and make choices on global issues, such as climate change, emerging technology, and governance.
Featured Applied Ethics Resources
Practical conversations, decision analysis, and more
MAR 13, 2026 • Video
Character and Leadership: A Conversation with Lt. General (ret.) Mark Hertling
FEB 20, 2026 • Podcast
Keeping it Real(ism), with Assoc. Professor Paul Poast
With realism having a political moment, Paul Poast discusses the intellectual roots of the theory and how it's being applied in U.S. foreign policy.
DEC 11, 2025 • Video
Re-examining our Capacity for Just Peace
Watch this discussion featuring distinguished experts reflecting on the state of war in 2025 and the obstacles to achieving just peace.
Related Initiatives
Carnegie Ethics Accelerator
The Carnegie Ethics Accelerator is a new kind of incubator designed to empower ethics in the face of swiftly evolving challenges in technology and public policies.
Ethics & International Affairs Journal
Ethics & International Affairs is the quarterly journal of Carnegie Council. It aims to close the gap between the theory and practice of ethics.
Carnegie Ethics Fellows
The Carnegie Ethics Fellows program (CEF) seeks to cultivate the next generation of ethical global leaders across business, policy, technology, NGOs, and academia.
Explore Our Applied Ethics Resources
SEP 5, 1996 • Article
Human Rights Dialogue (1994–2005): Series 1, Number 6 (Fall 1996): The Human Rights Discourse in East Asia: Reports from the Region: Articles: TAIWAN
Discussed are "A Preliminary Investigation on the Right to Work of the Disabled;" "Proposal for an Educational System for Indigenous Peoples in Taiwan;" "Political Tolerance ...
JUN 5, 1996 • Article
Human Rights Dialogue (1994–2005): Series 1, Number 5 (Summer 1996): Cultural Sources of Human Rights in East Asia: Articles: The Validity of a Cultural Approach to Human Rights
Culture is an integral part of any human rights question. Workshop participants examined human rights practices in different East Asian contexts and their convergence and ...
JUN 5, 1996 • Article
Human Rights Dialogue (1994–2005): Series 1, Number 5 (Summer 1996): Cultural Sources of Human Rights in East Asia: Articles: Sources of Human Rights in Asian Cultures
The Buddhist duty of avihimsa (nonviolence); the importance Islam places on umma (community) and equality before God; and Confucian ren (humanity) each lead to ethical ...
JUN 5, 1996 • Article
Human Rights Dialogue (1994–2005): Series 1, Number 5 (Summer 1996): Cultural Sources of Human Rights in East Asia: Articles: Textual Interpretation
Textual interpretation, when applied to cultural sources of human rights, becomes a question of power. Who interprets these texts? Who decides whether the interpretations ...
JUN 5, 1996 • Article
Human Rights Dialogue (1994–2005): Series 1, Number 5 (Summer 1996): Cultural Sources of Human Rights in East Asia: Articles: Building on the Existing International Human Rights Regime
Even as they seek to construct a framework that takes into account non-Western cultures, both Onuma's intercivilizational approach and An-Na im's "cultural mediation" of human ...
JUN 5, 1996 • Article
Human Rights Dialogue (1994–2005): Series 1, Number 5 (Summer 1996): Cultural Sources of Human Rights in East Asia: Articles: Conclusion: Asian Contributions to Human Rights
Proposals for widening consensus on norms will be of little value if mechanisms are not in place to enforce compliance. Time constraints at the workshop ...
MAY 26, 1995 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: The New Dimensions of Human Rights
"The interface between ethics and science will hence be the new frontier of politics—the third new dimension of human rights," warns Zbigniew Brzezinski.
MAY 22, 1987 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: The Political Ethics of International Relations
Stanley Hoffmann says a danger in international affairs is "disembodied idealism," posing ethical solutions to political problems without understanding states and their interests.
MAY 12, 1985 • Article
Morgenthau Lecture: Words and Deeds in Foreign Policy
Kenneth Thompson discusses how moral principles become disconnected from political actions.
DEC 3, 1984 • Article
The Bishop and South Africa: An Interview with Desmond Tutu
"I am glad I'm not a Westerner; I am glad I'm not white; I am glad I'm not civilized, if civilized means doing the kind ...