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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CREDIT: Gusta Johnson

NOV 7, 2014 Podcast

A Conversation with General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

In this candid and thoughtful conversation, General Dempsey tackles the difficult questions, from ISIS to Ebola to cyber threats. And throughout, he stresses the importance ...

CREDIT: Gusta Johnson

NOV 7, 2014 Podcast

Global Ethics and the Point of View of the Universe

Sidgwick's concept of looking at issues from "the point of view of the universe"--in other words, giving equal weight to everyone's interests, irrespective of ...

2013 Sayada Community Network Building. CREDIT: <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/113632566131475824062/albums/5965895313641259393/5965897686580208274?pid=5965897686580208274&oid=113632566131475824062">Ryan Gerety</a>

OCT 31, 2014 Podcast

The Bright Side to Big Data: Good Intentions and Ethical Questions

We wrap up our three-part series on data and privacy with a look at some ways big data can improve our communities. Technology and big ...

A young village boy in Uganda. CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dvids/5856893090"> DVIDSHUB </a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">CC</a>)

OCT 10, 2014 Article

Security Threats in Africa: A Critical Perspective

The U.S. is still seeing Africa from a Cold War perspective rooted in political realist thought, writes Africa security expert Metelits. But characterizing non-Western ...

CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/yandle/14834024021">Yandle</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(CC)</a>

OCT 8, 2014 Podcast

Data Threats: Hackers, Government Agencies, and Defending Data Online

Cybersecurity risks increases daily as more and more of our private information is stored online--and the biggest threat isn't necessarily hackers. This second episode in ...

OCT 2, 2014 Podcast

A Conversation with Lieutenant-General Roméo A. Dallaire

In this inspiring conversation, Dallaire talks about his faith in the principle of R2P--"one of the great innovations of our time"--and how ...

SEP 25, 2014 Article

Ethics Fellows for the Future 2014 Essay Collection

This booklet is a collection of the Ethics Fellows for the Future (EFF) essays and project outlines as well as the winning essay of Carnegie ...

SEP 22, 2014 Podcast

Podcast with Joel Rosenthal and Devin Stewart for Global Ethics Day

What is Global Ethics Day? "Our dream is that this becomes a global educational effort and that people come to learn from each other from ...

CREDIT: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/infocux/8450190120/">infocux Technologies</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en">(CC)</a>

SEP 5, 2014 Podcast

Big Data, Virginia Woolf, and the Right to be Forgotten

As a society, we're still developing vocabulary to talk about data technology and the moral questions it raises. In this first of a series of ...

SEP 3, 2014 Podcast

World War to a Global Ethic

"We come here—100 years to the day from the calamitous events of the summer of 1914—to remember, to take stock, and to recommit to the ...