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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FEB 27, 2017 Podcast

Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow

Soon, humankind may be able to replace natural selection with intelligent design and to create the first inorganic lifeforms, says Yuval Noah Harari. If so, ...

CREDIT: <a href="https://pixabay.com/en/human-faces-personal-connected-977414/">geralt</a> via Pixabay, public domain.

FEB 24, 2017 Article

Is Nationalism an Asset or a Hindrance in Today's Globalized World?

"Nationalism is a hindrance to the world as a whole, slowing down globalization and driving the world apart. A system of organization must suit all 7 ...

Seoul Bus 503. CREDIT: <a herf="https://www.flickr.com/photos/byeangel/16712964591/">byeangel</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">CC</a>)

FEB 24, 2017 Article

Nationalism: A Reason for Optimism

"In the end, there is something that we ought to take from the example of Korean nationalism. Nationalism can indeed exist along with globalization, without ...

FEB 24, 2017 Article

The Bane of Nations: Nationalism in the Modern World

"Today, a European Pole might rub shoulders with an Iraqi while walking in the streets of Shanghai, and in Los Angeles an Ecuadorian store owner ...

FEB 24, 2017 Article

Coexistence in the World of Nations

"Why don't we then just write off nationalism as an unacceptable element from the past (similar to racism and imperialism)? There are two main reasons. ...

Via <a href="https://pixabay.com/en/hands-world-map-global-earth-600497/">Pixabay</a>. Public domain.

FEB 24, 2017 Article

Nationalisms: Constructive and Destructive

The goal of peace in the 21st century is likely to be advanced far less by grand projects aimed at nationalism's demise and more at ...

FEB 22, 2017 Podcast

Launch of Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative

C2G2 serves a vital purpose: connecting and mobilizing actors from many sectors of society to look at the very real possibilities of engineering the ...

Image created by Gabriella Nicole Veda

FEB 22, 2017 Article

Nationalism: A Modern Asset

"We are currently living in the rapidly globalizing world of the 21st century. This means that the barriers of communication and cultural exchange are eliminated. ...

FEB 15, 2017 Podcast

Data for the People: How to Make our Post-Privacy Economy Work for You

"I want people to be empowered by the data they create and not to be stifled by the data they create," says Andreas Weigend, one ...

Alexander Görlach. CREDIT: Amanda Ghanooni

FEB 14, 2017 Podcast

Alexander Görlach on Threats to Liberal Democracy

In this wide-ranging and lively discussion, Alexander Görlach, founder of the debate magazine "The European," tackles the rise of populism and the far right ...