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
FEB 21, 2013 • Article
"Human Trafficking" by Sandhya Bhat and Catherine Pushpam Joseph
"There is no doubt we live in a world that specializes in creating broken people every day. We've reached a point where eradicating human trafficking ...
FEB 21, 2013 • Article
"Economics Has Replaced Ethics" by Laura J. Rediehs
"The biggest ethical challenge facing us today is that we have let economics replace ethics as a guide to life, and in doing so, we ...
FEB 21, 2013 • Article
"Terrorism" by Madueke Michael-Francis Nezie
Terrorism is like a virus. It cannot be said to be bound within certain political states or geographic boundaries. To end terror, extremism and its ...
FEB 21, 2013 • Article
"Exploitive Inequality" by John Dever
"Exploitive inequality is one of the fundamental ethical challenges that faces us today, and it vastly complicates any response to threats to peace, justice, and ...
FEB 21, 2013 • Article
"Saving the World Is Indifferent, Acting for it Isn't" by Ilari Aula
"The greatest ethical challenge facing the planet is to discover how we ordinary people reach and maintain the motivation to change the world. It is ...
FEB 14, 2013 • Article
Saddam's Pistol, and Yours
"In the current debate over gun regulation a simple point is being missed. Every citizen has the right to a gun. But shouldn't every man, ...
JAN 18, 2013 • Podcast
Ethics Matter: Top Risks and Ethical Decisions 2013 with Ian Bremmer
"There are three big things happening right now in the world: China rising, Middle East exploding, Europe muddling through. Those are the things that truly ...
DEC 17, 2012 • Article
Israel and Hamas: Time to Talk?
Hamas is unlikely to ever become a partner for peace with Israel, but it can be a partner for coexistence, albeit a limited and uneasy ...
DEC 6, 2012 • Article
Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Send Salads to Ethiopia, and Solar Panels to Senegal
We wouldn't send salads as food relief to a starving country, so why is the Overseas Private Investment Corporation doing the equivalent in the energy ...
DEC 3, 2012 • Article
Hard Questions for Humanitarians
Do international laws intended to constrain war and uphold human rights unwittingly legitimate violence? Zach Dorfman of Carnegie Council reviews Eyal Weizman's book, "The Least ...