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
MAY 10, 2022 • Podcast
Making Decisions When Values Conflict or Are Prioritized Differently, with Paul Root Wolpe
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 ...
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
JUN 5, 2013 • Article
Mindsets May Hinder Progress in Myanmar
Great excitement surrounds the World Economic Forum meeting in Myanmar this week, an indication of the country's new openness. But while the media has highlighted ...
MAY 31, 2013 • Podcast
Legal Reflections on the Past, Present, and Future of National Security
"In the post-9/11 world, the job of being the senior legal authority for the Department of Defense is the perfect storm collision of law, national ...
MAY 29, 2013 • Podcast
Carnegie New Leaders: A Discussion with Independent Diplomat's Carne Ross
It's not always easy to do the right thing. "Had I had children, had I been 10 years older, I wouldn't have done it." In a ...
MAY 24, 2013 • Article
The U.S., China, and Cybersecurity: The Ethical Underpinnings of a Controversial Geopolitical Issue
Though commonly conceptualized as a strategic geopolitical issue, cybersecurity's underpinnings are comprised by a series of fundamental ethical considerations. Addressing these will provide a better ...
MAY 16, 2013 • Podcast
Human Trafficking Around the World: Hidden in Plain Sight
Victims of trafficking are both young and old, male and female. They can be found working in factories, fields, brothels, private homes, and innumerable other ...
MAY 9, 2013 • Article
The World of Wal-Mart
With the deadly April 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh, once again the spotlight is on multi-national companies like Wal-Mart, whose production is ...
APR 30, 2013 • Podcast
Kim Ferzan on Preventive Justice
Criminal justice is normally retrospective: You can only imprison someone for crimes they’ve already committed. But what should we do about individuals who clearly ...
APR 23, 2013 • Article
Exit, Voice, and Loyalty at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal: Should the International Community Stay or Go?
The Khmer Rouge Tribunal is in big trouble, much of it financial. But the financial deficit is the result of something deeper: a responsibility deficit. ...
APR 11, 2013 • Article
Years Later, Secular Student Group Recognized On A Religious Campus: Here's How It Happened
In order to be truly inclusive, interfaith dialogue and collaboration must also include those without faith.
APR 11, 2013 • Article
Book Review: "The Undivided Past: Humanity Beyond Our Differences"
"The Undivided Past" aims to show that "the most resonant forms of human solidarity," as author David Cannadine elegantly puts it, are unstable and often ...