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: Propeller Films & The Unofficial Man

APR 2, 2014 Podcast

"Watchers of the Sky": Film Screening & Conversation with Luis Moreno-Ocampo

What are the challenges facing the International Criminal Court? How can it be more effective? Former ICC prosecutor Moreno-Ocampo explains.

MAR 31, 2014 Podcast

No Ordinary Men: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Hans von Dohnanyi, Resisters Against Hitler in Church and State

Sifton and Stern tell the story of two of the most courageous opponents of the Nazi regime, pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer and lawyer Hans ...

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-129683057/stock-vector-usa-and-chinese-grunge-flag.html?src=uMfVM_BxZH9iaq3VqHHamQ-1-0"> USA and China Flag </a> via Shutterstock

MAR 19, 2014 Article

The Ethics of Avoiding Conflict with China

Is there a policy prescription that can avoid turning predictions of a Sino-American clash into a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Sebastian Junger

MAR 18, 2014 Podcast

Ethics Matter: A Conversation with Sebastian Junger

Journalist Sebastian Junger knows about war from the inside: the horror and pain, the excitement and heightened awareness, and the fierce brotherhood between soldiers. In ...

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-144257470/stock-photo-whistleblower.html">Image</a> via Shutterstock

MAR 17, 2014 Podcast

Blowing the Whistle

Has the perception of whistleblowers changed? With high-profile cases like Edward Snowden and increased protections for those who accuse their employers of misconduct, have we ...

Statue of Blind Justice, Albert V. Bryan Federal District Courthouse, Alexandria, VA. CREDIT: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23165290@N00/6830726742">Tim Evanson</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en">(CC)</a>

FEB 28, 2014 Podcast

"War on Terror," an Insider's View: A Conversation with Harold H. Koh

As legal adviser to the State Department from 2009 to 2013, Harold Koh was responsible for making judgments about the most difficult issues in the "war on ...

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-118936687/stock-photo--cctv-camera-watching-you-on-concrete-wall.html?src=UiDG2YJBGf2rh1c1L5oJqQ-2-61"> 25 CCTV Camera Watching You On Concrete Wall</a> via Shutterstock

FEB 18, 2014 Article

Secrecy and Privacy in the Aftermath of Edward Snowden

In order to be morally justifiable, any strategy or policy involving the body politic must be one to which it would voluntarily assent when fully ...

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-147680150/stock-photo-ecologism-and-capitalism.html?src=ZHYCGYTYjD7WMcMufOo3PA-1-1">Ecologism and Capitalism</a> via Shutterstock

FEB 14, 2014 Article

From Dehumanization to Rehumanization

"Rehumanization is the restoration of human dignity and the reassertion of the priority of humans above the systems originally intended to serve humanity. If we ...

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-141716761/stock-photo-radar-screen-with-world-map-raster-version-of-the-illustration.html">Radar screen</a> via Shutterstock

FEB 13, 2014 Podcast

Rules of Engagement: The Legal, Ethical and Moral Challenges of the Long War

Can the drone campaign be legally and morally justified? What are the limits to the president's authority when it comes to targeted killing? Don't miss ...

FEB 11, 2014 Podcast

Introducing: CARNEGIE COUNCIL

Want to learn more about Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs? This five-minute video gives a quick introduction to our past, our present, and ...