Applied Ethics

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

JUL 5, 2023 Article

A Framework for the International Governance of AI

Carnegie Council, in collaboration with IEEE, proposes a five-part AI governance framework to enable the constructive use of AI.

APR 12, 2022 Podcast

Surveillance Tech's Infinite Loop of Harms, with Chris Gilliard

In this discussion with Senior Fellow Arthur Holland Michel, Chris Gilliard explains why the arc of surveillance technology and novel AI bends toward failures that ...

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APR 2, 2019 Video

Ethics in Business: In Their Own Words, with Deloitte China's David Wu

David Wu, vice chairman of Deloitte China, discusses the role of ethics in financial services and consulting. In particular, he emphasizes the importance of transparency ...

Statue of Liberty. CREDIT: <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/Ronile-126846/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=267948">Ronile</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=267948">Pixabay</a>

APR 1, 2019 Article

Democratic Decline?

We are familiar with one type of democratic decline: the loss of faith by voters in institutions and politicians, the breakdown in trust in expertise ...

MAR 28, 2019 Podcast

Global Ethics Weekly: Liberal Democracy, Empathy, & AI, with Alexander Görlach

In this wide-ranging talk, Carnegie Council Senior Fellow Alexander Görlach discusses the importance of empathy in liberal democracies, the shocking Uyghur detention in China, ...

L to R: Helen Rosenthal, Nily Rozic, Yvette D. Clarke, Erin Vilardi. CREDIT: Amanda Ghanooni.

MAR 25, 2019 Podcast

Political Leadership: Beyond Gender

To celebrate the record number of women elected into Congress, the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN, and ...

Elephant Butte Dam on the Rio Grande, central New Mexico (with low water level) CREDIT: David Groenfeldt

MAR 21, 2019 Article

On World Water Day: Think Globally, Act Ethically

"On this World Water Day (March 22) we urgently need a campaign to disrupt global complacency about protecting the planet's water. We adults, who are in ...

Facebook Headquarters - 1 Hacker Way in Silicon Valley, California. <A href=https://www.flickr.com/photos/jikatu/22339401336>CREDIT: Jimmy Baikovicius (CC)</a>

MAR 12, 2019 Article

Democracy: Freedom with a Caveat

"As a kid living in Silicon Valley whose whole life has been in the shadow of historic advancement, I hope these will not be the ...

Voting directions. <a href=https://www.flickr.com/photos/deadling/2244532816/in/photolist-4qkPpE-rJBfv-3T4tQe-dpZZbb-nXz5YD-5z92z6-nXtgTA-dpZQLT-HovdG-4qp6cj-nXskWW-pVXFyx-5zq7Vs-oWiE1Q-dpZSFe-nXz23H-dreSPw-EsoEu-5zuKcU-pSVcNR-5xzbJM-6PyBhy-5zohn3-pAGMmb-7AfEcu-5wDTiJ-pSV6jP-5ydDua-pAGUKu-aJEfmZ-4qgKhX-5zi5rx-BhqFo-dgZPjJ-7DHt9Z-dgZNz8-bHbZ2e-5zmf7L-dgZNdn-dGazww-aQkzPz-8NSDDv-6gdVNt-68mD39-5yFrug-23S18x-5rLkTU-8NgW2y-7DHt9z-psK9oh>CREDIT: Eric__I_E (CC)</a>

MAR 12, 2019 Article

Why Democracy is the Best We've Got

"In the face of the global decline of rule of law, freedom of the press, equal representation, separation of powers and freedom of speech, democracy ...

MAR 7, 2019 Podcast

Global Ethics Weekly: AI Governance & Ethics, with Wendell Wallach

Wendell Wallach, consultant, ethicist, and scholar at the Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, discusses some of the current issues in artificial intelligence (AI), including his ...

MAR 4, 2019 Video

Ethics in Business: In Their Own Words, with AlipayHK's Jennifer Tan

Jennifer Tan, CEO of AlipayHK, discusses the role of ethics in her work leading the company behind a mobile payment platform for Hong Kong. She ...

FEB 26, 2019 Podcast

The Enduring False Promise of Preventive War, with Scott A. Silverstone

Does preventive war really work? "In the vast majority of cases historically, what we see is the country that thought it was saving itself from ...