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
MAY 21, 2019 • Podcast
Global Ethics Weekly: The Mueller Report & U.S. Foreign Policy, with Jonathan Cristol
A lot of the talk about the Mueller Report has focused on its political and legal implications, but how will it affect U.S. foreign ...
MAY 17, 2019 • Podcast
Civic Responsibility in the Internet Age, with Michael H. Posner
Historian Ted Widmer and Michael Posner, an NYU Stern professor and former U.S. State Department official, discuss local politics, journalism, and money in elections ...
MAY 13, 2019 • Podcast
Ethics in Business: In Their Own Words, with GPIF's Hiro Mizuno
Hiro Mizuno, executive managing director and CIO of Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), speaks about the role of ethics in managing one of the ...
MAY 10, 2019 • Article
Sex, Drugs, and Propaganda: Why AIDS Persists in the Russian Federation
On May 3, 2019, Josephine Marrocco's presentation on HIV/AIDS in Russia was selected as the winner of the Council's fifth annual Student Research Conference. Afterwards, Carnegie ...
MAY 9, 2019 • Podcast
Global Ethics Weekly: Ethics, Politics, & the Veteran Community, with Reed Bonadonna
Senior Fellow Reed Bonadonna, a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel, discusses the role of ethics in the transition to civilian life. With presidents Eisenhower ...
APR 22, 2019 • Podcast
Human Rights, Liberalism, & Ordinary Virtues, with Michael Ignatieff
Central European University's President Michael Ignatieff is a human rights scholar, an educator, a former politician, and, as he tells us, the son of a ...
APR 9, 2019 • Article
Ethical Implications of Climate Change for Education
"Education is often tied with privilege and who has access," writes Brian Mateo, assistant dean of civic engagement at Bard College. "Let us not continue ...
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 ...
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, ...