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
OCT 5, 2017 • Podcast
Free-Enterprise Solutions to Climate Change, with Bob Inglis
Republican politician Bob Inglis used to think that climate change was nonsense; but his son--and science--changed his mind. Today he advocates letting market forces do ...
OCT 3, 2017 • Podcast
Fake News and Google with Daniel Sieberg
How much of a threat is fake news to the average citizen? What is Google doing to counteract its spread? Learn more with this conversation ...
SEP 29, 2017 • Podcast
The Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World
To mark Carnegie Council's Centennial, Michael Ignatieff and team set out to discover what moral values people hold in common across nations. What he found ...
SEP 26, 2017 • Article
Carnegie Council Fellows Respond: Making Ethics Matter, 2017
Carnegie Council has pledged to be a counter-force to the corrosive tone that frequently dominates the news; to focus on the ethical principles at stake; ...
SEP 14, 2017 • Podcast
From the White House to the World: Food, Health, and Climate Change, with Chef Sam Kass
Entrepreneur Sam Kass talks about his experiences as chef and senior policy nutrition advisor in the White House, including titbits about the Obamas, initiatives to ...
SEP 12, 2017 • Podcast
The Risks and Rewards of Big Data, Algorithms, and Machine Learning, with danah boyd
How do we analyze vast swaths of data and who decides what to collect? For example, big data may help us cure cancer, but the ...
SEP 8, 2017 • Podcast
North Korea: A Conversation between Joel Rosenthal and Devin Stewart
Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal and Senior Fellow Devin Stewart discuss the tense North Korea situation. What does Kim Jong-un want? How should the United ...
SEP 6, 2017 • Podcast
The Driver in the Driverless Car with Vivek Wadhwa
What are the social and ethical implications of new technologies such as widespread automation and gene editing? These innovations are no longer in the realm ...
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 ...