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
NOV 29, 2016 • Podcast
The Indispensable Role of Trust: A Conversation with Judge William Webster
Don't miss this candid conversation with Judge Webster, current chairman of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, and former director of both the CIA and the ...
NOV 18, 2016 • Podcast
A Conversation on Climate Change & Forced Displacement with David Sussman
Conflict and war are often talked about as main drivers of forced displacement, but researcher David Sussman also points to climate change and consumerism as ...
OCT 28, 2016 • Article
Briefing Paper on Climate Engineering
Climate engineering is defined as large-scale, deliberate intervention in the Earth system to counteract climate change. Two major sets of techniques are usually included: those ...
OCT 18, 2016 • Podcast
Peacemakers in Action: An In-depth Discussion of Religious Peacebuilding
Don't miss this remarkable conversation with Joyce Dubensky, CEO of Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, and one of Tanenbaum's peacemakers, Rev. Bill Lowrey, who spent ...
OCT 5, 2016 • Podcast
How to Achieve Military Victory and Maintain National and Personal Ethics
Moshe Yaalon: "Military excellence has handed us an advantage on the battlefield, but this edge can only be maintained if we preserve our ethical superiority. ...
SEP 28, 2016 • Podcast
Karin Aggestam on Sweden's Feminist Foreign Policy
In 2015, the newly formed Swedish government not only declared that it was going to be a feminist government but its foreign minister, Margot Wallström, ...
SEP 21, 2016 • Podcast
Measuring Positive and Negative Peace with the Global Peace Index
If you're running a business you need metrics to succeed, and it's the same with peace, says Steve Killelea, founder of the Global Peace Index. ...
SEP 20, 2016 • Podcast
Is Successful Integration Possible? Best Practices from North America and Europe
How can societies help migrants integrate into the schools, work forces, and cultures of their new communities? In a partnership with the Government of Catalonia, ...
SEP 14, 2016 • Podcast
The UN's Peter Sutherland on the Migrant Crisis
In the run-up to the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants, Joanne Myers talks with Peter Sutherland about the challenges of implementing the 1951 Refugee Convention, ...
SEP 13, 2016 • Podcast
U.S. Elections & Brexit: Can Liberalism Survive?
Why are liberal values eroding across the world? Will this continue? Realist Stephen Walt says maybe not, if the U.S. can set a good ...