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
MAY 10, 2022 • Podcast
Making Decisions When Values Conflict or Are Prioritized Differently, with Paul Root Wolpe
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 ...
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, 2017 • Podcast
Making Ethics Matter in 2017
"Ethics will be found in people of good will who believe in constructive responses to hard policy challenges. Ethics will be demonstrated by those who ...
AUG 29, 2017 • Article
Ethics on Film: Discussion of "Malcolm X"
Malcolm X is seen by some as a symbol of the enduring struggle for equal rights for all human beings; but for others his legacy ...
AUG 4, 2017 • Podcast
Scott D. Sagan on the Nuclear Necessity Principle
Major changes must be made if U.S. nuclear war plans are to conform to the principles of just war doctrine and the law of ...
JUL 21, 2017 • Podcast
Alexander Klimburg on "The Darkening Web: The War for Cyberspace"
In the West we view cyber threats as largely a technical issue, while in Russia and China they see it in terms of propaganda, information ...
JUL 16, 2017 • Publication
Ethics in International Affairs: An Introduction
This introduction from Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal explains the point of view underlying the Council’s activities, discussing the connection between power and ethics.
JUN 29, 2017 • Podcast
Amitai Etzioni on Avoiding War with China
The result of a war with China? "At best we have to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on weapons nobody will use which are ...
JUN 28, 2017 • Article
Humanitarians Hope for ‘Risk Management Framework’ on Geoengineering – a Carnegie Discussion
"The potential impacts of geoengineering remain so uncertain as to be quite unknown; what seems clear is that in a geoengineered future there would be ...
JUN 23, 2017 • Podcast
Soldiers and Civilization: How the Profession of Arms Thought and Fought the Modern World into Existence
The soldier "is at once the most and the least civilized of persons," says Carnegie Council Senior Fellow Reed Bonadonna. In this thoughtful conversation, he ...
JUN 21, 2017 • Podcast
Waleed Alhariri on the U.S. Covert Use of Lethal Force, and the Crisis in Yemen
Waleed Alhariri of the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies discusses the Center's new report on U.S. covert attacks against al Qaeda and other radical ...
JUN 13, 2017 • Podcast
Yvonne Terlingen on the UN Secretary-General Selection Process
Until very recently, the United Nations selected its secretary-general entirely behind closed doors. Yvonne Terlingen, of the 1 for 7 Billion Find the Best UN Leader campaign, ...